To Love a Demon Lord
by Elvyn Wolf
Summary: Rin has been killed and Sessho Maru, normally so emotionless, blames himself and has vowed that no one else will get close to him.  Then he meets Rina, an auburn haired American from the future with a temper and will to match.
1. Prologue: In Memory of Rin

  
_Author's Note: This story is my old story "Spring of the Heart" re-vamped, edited, and, I like to think, improved._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha, nor do I own the rights to him. I merely possess a few DVDs and a slight obsession with the manga and the anime. Oh yeah, and I have a Sessho Maru bookmark. I don't even own any plushies. How sad is that?**

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_Prologue: In Memory of Rin_

Sessho Maru looked down at the grave of the little girl whom he had raised since she had been a little tyke. To the eye he was as quiet and emotionless as always, but deep down he hurt.

"M--Master?" came an uncertain squeak. Jaken. "Master?" he asked again. "It's been days. Shouldn't you come inside?"

"How many days, Jaken?" The little imp jumped a few feet when at last Sessho Maru spoke.

"Two weeks, m'lord. Two weeks since Rin was laid to rest."

_**Laid to rest**_ The words rang hollowly in Sessho Maru's pointed ears. "No, Jaken. She was not laid to rest. She was just a child and those bastards murdered her. They killed one of their own just because of me. She shouldn't have died."

Jaken listened quietly, all the while growing more and more frightened. This wasn't like Sessho Maru. Yes, he knew that he had cared for the girl, but he had never seen his master like this. Normally it seemed that nothing ever could and never would phase him. Jaken now realized that his master truly was heartbroken.

Sessho Maru fell quiet once again. His youkai senses were aware of Jaken's clumsy shuffle as he left his master to grieve, but his mind was somewhere else. _**Rin is dead because of me. They killed her because of me.**_

_Sessho Maru stared quietly at the angry villagers. They had a captive. They had kidnapped Rin. Sessho Maru had smelled the trouble from miles away, the smell of Rin's fear reaching him the strongest, intermingled with the smell of the human men. Anger flashed across his normally emotionless eyes. **They dare hurt Rin?** Sessho Maru had run home with the blinding speed that his demon blood gave him, but it still was not fast enough. They had taken Rin, taken the Tenseiga, and had severely injured Jaken, who had tried to stop them._

_The kidnappers had tried to confuse Sessho Maru's senses by splitting up, but he had tracked Rin's captor without a problem. However, he had failed to sense the trap that had resulted in his being surrounded by an angry army of villager men, one of whom held a knife to Rin's throat. Another villager held the Tenseiga. Before Sessho Maru's eyes the Tenseiga was shattered._

_Sessho Maru turned his attention back to the man who was threateningly digging the tip of his knife into Rin's neck._

_"Sessho!" she whimpered._

_Sessho Maru's cold eyes glowered icily at the man. "You coward. She is not part of this. You have not the courage to face me so you succumb to your own cowardice to attack one of your own"_

_"Demon!" spat the man. "She may have been human once, but now there is no telling since she has been with you! For all we know she could be possessed and no longer human!"_

_"She is but a child," Sessho Maru's normally emotionless voice now ground out with a tinge of desperation. If Rin was killed he would be unable to help her now that the Tenseiga was destroyed._

_"Shut up, demon!" shouted the villager. "You must pay for all the lives you have destroyed so callously!"_

_"Then by all means, try and make me pay, but do not put my debt on the shoulders of this girl. She is innocent and has done you no wrong."_

_Somehow Sessho Maru's quiet plea only angered the villagers more. The man raised the knife and..._

Sessho Maru closed his eyes painfully at the memory of the knife slicing into Rin's neck, her innocent blood spurting out onto the sand in a red fountain of atonement for a crime she had never committed. He had sprang and caught her tiny body before it could hit the ground. That action had provoked the villagers to attack. He had crouched over Rin's lifeless body to protect her further from the sword blades and arrows that assaulted them on every side. He himself was wounded badly before he could gather up the strength to explode from the angry mob, launching himself into the sky.

_"After him! Don't let him escape!" shouted Rin's murderer, thus inspiring the furious mob to pursue Sessho Maru. Despite his grievous injuries Sessho Maru flew away at impossible speeds, tenderly cradling the little girl in his arms. He knew that the villagers were after him, but the castle was still the safest place that Rin could be. Gently laying her on a bed, Sessho Maru took one last look at her before barking orders to poor Jaken to watch over her and then leaping away to confront the mob. They were close. Their hatred gave them abnormal speed._

_Sessho Maru's own hatred mixed with a newfound emotion--grief--made him an even more formidable foe. He could see the mob now, high as he was in the sky. His face was as cold and emotionless as a noh mask. Only his eyes, so cold that they could freeze over the hottest desert, gave any clue as to the pain that he felt. He fell, intending to fall right in the middle of the mob. He would destroy them all, starting with the cold- hearted son of a bitch who had murdered such an innocent child._

Sessho Maru's fists clenched. _**Cold-hearted son of a bitch who had murdered such an innocent child.**_ His mental description of Rin's killer blazed through his mind. _**And yet I am much worse than that. I have slaughtered whole villages of innocents, men, women, and children alike.**_ Sessho Maru felt something warm and wet drip off his knuckles. Blood. He opened his fists to reveal the cuts that his claws had embedded in his palms. This caused him to remember all the innocent blood on his hands. He looked back down at Rin's grave. That alone saved him from falling further into his self loathing. She had seen through him. She had known that he was evil, and yet she had known that that wasn't who he really was. She had seen through his cold-hearted persona and had believed in him. She had seen what everyone else had been blind to. He remembered when she had found him so injured and had kept silently bringing food to him, despite his harsh words toward her. She had even brought injury upon herself by stealing food for him. The corners of Sessho Maru's mouth twitched slightly upward as he remembered the day that she had been beaten for his sake. She had still offered him a wide, happy grin, somewhat devoid of teeth, despite the pain that she was suffering. He remembered the day that the wolf demons had attacked her village, slaughtering everyone. She had run to him, but had been unable to outrun the wolves. They had pounced on her and had violently shaken the life from her tiny body. Sessho Maru had come upon the bloody scene, frightening the wolves off. He had looked down at her tattered body intending to coldly turn his back on her. Yet the memory of her bruised, toothy smile amidst her pain had stopped him. He had used Tenseiga to bring her back.

Tenseiga. Destroyed. Sessho Maru's eyes closed again. Rin's killers had destroyed the Tenseiga. Somehow they had known of the Tenseiga's powers and knew that he would use it to bring Rin back if they killed her. They had taken away that hope.

"Rin," Sessho Maru whispered softly, unable to keep silent any longer. "I failed you." He knelt down and put his hands on the mostly- settled earth of Rin's grave. He hadn't been able to bring himself to burn her body. If it was at all possible that the Tenseiga could be restored, he wanted to be able to bring her back. His shoulders slumped. _**What good would that do? She could still be hurt because of me.**_ The thought of Rin suffering because of him was a knife twisting in his youkai heart--the heart that used to feel nothing.

"Rest assured that I will not fail again."


	2. Chapter 1: Rina

"Hey, Rina!" came the voice, yet the call fell on deaf ears. She was sitting on her favorite place on the beach lost in her own thoughts. "Rina-sama," came the call again, though much closer.

"Rina, you're up next. It's your turn for your sound check," Kuri said, waving a hand in front of Rina's vacant, dreamy gaze.

Rina Kendall-Miyazuki blinked a couple of times to bring herself out of her daze. "Huh?"

Rina stood up, dusting the beach sand off of her jeans. Her nearly-waist- length flame-colored hair was a stark contrast to the raven-haired people of Japan. She was an American, yet she had only been to America a few times. Her parents had died when she was 8 and had left her in the care of friends in Japan, who adopted her. When she was 16 she had, on a dare from Kuri, her best friend, entered a talent competition where she would sing a solo. Since then that was all she had wanted to do. She and Kuri always performed together. Kuri loved playing instruments. She normally played electric guitar but now her current project was to learn the drums. Rina and Kuri were currently working on writing and recording their own songs, but for now they were content to play covers of their favorite bands, Evanescence and Within Temptation, in the clubs they played. And not just Evanescence. Sometimes they did covers of J. Lo, Abba, Britney Spears among others. While Kuri's favorite hobby was playing the instruments, Rina's was dancing. She was a natural although she still took classes. Currently she was working on a routine for her favorite Evanescence song "Bring Me To Life".

"Sorry, Kuri," Rina said with a small laugh.

Kuri grinned and playfully knocked on Rina's forehead with her fist. "How is it so possible that you can cram such an expansive universe in there that is so hard to pull you away from?"

"Ow! Hey! First you're trying to get me back to the land of the living and conscious and now you're trying to send me back! Stop it or we won't be able to do our sound check!"

"Oh please, Rina," Kuri scoffed. "You're such a big baby."

They arrived back at the beach club to find their manager, a heavy-set man who looked like his mustache was made from chop sticks, pacing impatiently. "Where were you, Rina?" he demanded, his voice thick with agitation.

"Sorry, Souji. I was at the beach," Rina replied trying to give off a semblance of meekness.

"Hmph!" was the reply. "Let's just get this sound check done before the next band shits a brick."

"Hmm, that'd make the Guinness Book of World Records," Rina piped up without thinking, thus earning her a very withering glare from Souji.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Why the hell should I let you go through the well?!" Inu Yasha demanded of his older brother, Sessho Maru. "How do I know that you're not just wanting to go over there to cause some trouble?"

Sessho Maru was aware of Kagome watching his face very skeptically. Deep down, he knew that he couldn't very well blame her for that. After all, he had tried on more than one occasion to kill her, though not any time recently. All of them had been forced to work together to defeat Naraku, but that didn't mean that Inu Yasha or any of his friends were about to readily trust him.

One of Inu Yasha's ears twitched as he waited for an answer. As he studied his brother's face he began to get the feeling that Sessho Maru didn't have any harm in mind. "What is it, Sessho Maru? Why do you want to leave our era?"

"I just need to get away for a little while," was Sessho Maru's quiet reply.

"Why?"

"You dare question Sessho Maru?" came an obnoxious squawk. Jaken, who immediately went cringing behind Sessho Maru's back when he received a death glare from Miroku.

"Yeah, actually, I do," snapped Inu Yasha. He hadn't seen his brother in over 6 years and all of a sudden he just shows up and expects them to trust him to let him go through the well to Kagome's time. Tch. Right.

Sessho Maru's face was as passive as ever, yet down inside he was still plagued with the memories of Rin's death. It had been over 6 years. And he hadn't been able to find the maker of the Tenseiga. He was the only one who could repair the sword. Sessho Maru had already begun to resign himself to the fact that the old fool was probably dead.

"It's been 6 years," Sessho Maru murmured at last.

"Huh?" Inu Yasha questioned.

"Do you remember Rin, the little human girl who stayed with me?"

"Yeah. She was missing a few teeth," Inu Yasha replied lazily.

"She's dead."

Inu Yasha jerked upright. "What the hell!! What did you do to her?!"

"Lord Sessho Maru did nothing to her!" barked Jaken, boldly coming out from hiding behind Sessho Maru. "He tried to save her! She was kidnapped by villagers, who murdered her to cause Lord Sessho Maru pain. Master witnessed her death."

"Tch!," scoffed Inu Yasha. "So, where's the Tenseiga? Why didn't you just bring her back with that?"

"Don't you think, brother, that if I had the Tenseiga, I would have used it?" Sessho Maru questioned quietly, a hint of anger peppering his normally monotonous voice.

That got Inu Yasha's attention. "What happened to Tenseiga?"

"The same villagers that murdered Rin destroyed the Tenseiga. Somehow they knew of the sword's healing powers and they destroyed it. I saw them shatter it before they killed Rin."

Inu Yasha fell quiet as he regarded his brother. Sessho Maru always hid his true feelings thus giving off the persona that he didn't even have a pulse, but now Inu Yasha could detect an underlying pain that Sessho Maru didn't want to face.

"Ok," Inu Yasha said quietly without thinking.

"Huh?!" Miroku blurted. "Inu Yasha, you couldn't possibly be serious!" Miroku fell quiet when Inu Yasha gave him a menacing view of his claws.

Inu Yasha strode over to his older brother and held up a shard of the Shikon Jewel. It was the last shard of the Shikon no Tama that, though they couldn't explain why, they hadn't fit it in with the rest of the completed Jewel. He grudgingly pressed the shard into Sessho Maru's palm.

"You have 3 days. If you're not back here in 3 days and handing over that shard back to Kagome, we're coming after you and believe me, Sessho Maru, we will find you."

Sessho Maru gave a slight nod before starting toward the well.

"Wait!" called Kagome.

Sessho Maru turned slightly. Kagome was rummaging around in the bushes before producing a duffel bag.

"You and Inu Yasha are roughly the same size. Put these on. You'll blend in better and won't be questioned much. And here's some money in case you need anything."

Sessho Maru quietly accepted the clothes and the money. "Why are you so willingly helping me? I've tried to kill you before."

Kagome boldly looked Sessho Maru in the eyes. "Because I don't think that you're the same youkai that you were all those years ago. Rin, I think, helped you realize that. And if a trip into my era will help you realize that further, then by all means, who am I to stand in your way?"

That brought down Sessho Maru's normally strong as steel guard for a moment. He blinked at her in surprise. _**She really means it**_ he thought, completely flabbergasted.

With Inu Yasha's direction, Sessho Maru changed into the clothes that Kagome provided him. He emerged from behind the bushes, his nose wrinkled with distaste. "How those 'modern day' humans can stand to wear these things is beyond me."

Inu Yasha couldn't resist a chuckle. "That's one thing that I whole-heartedly agree with you on, brother."

At hearing that, Sessho Maru turned and regarded his younger brother quietly. Then a small smile graced his normally emotionless lips. "You have changed as well, my brother."

"Well, you're not the only one whose life was changed by humans. Believe it or not, Sessho Maru, I used to have the same opinion of humans that you do--er, did--er, I don't know. The only human I didn't have a bad opinion of was my mother, but beyond that, I didn't think that they had any uses. Even when I thought that I loved Kikyo. I mean, Kikyo said that she loved me, but if that was true, how come she couldn't accept me as I was, you know? She didn't even want to acknowledge me in public until I said I would use the Shikon Jewel to become full human."

Sessho Maru listened to Inu Yasha quietly. "Kagome has accepted you as you really are?" he asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yes. She likes me just the way that I am." Inu Yasha regarded Sessho Maru thoughtfully for a moment. "Rin accepted you too." Inu Yasha's eyes widened as he caught the pain in Sessho Maru's eyes at the mention of the deceased child.

"Yes, she accepted me," Sessho Maru said softly. "You are right, Inu Yasha, in saying that my opinion of humans is still quite low. Those villagers were human, and yet they callously slit Rin's throat. And she was just a child. They cruelly murdered an innocent child, making her pay for the crimes that I committed. Yes, Inu Yasha, I still hate humans, though not all of them."

"I can't say as I blame you," Inu Yasha said quietly, still trying to take in the fact that he and Sessho Maru were getting along like real brothers for once. Hell, they were even having a heart-to-heart talk like real brothers. "If anything like that ever threatened Kagome as those bastards had done to your Rin, I would have the same opinion that you do."

Silence came between them for a few minutes before Inu Yasha finally spoke again. "Look, Sessho Maru, if you need more than 3 days over there, just let us know, alright?"

"I will," Sessho Maru replied, surprising even himself. The next words that he said, however, shocked himself even more. "Inu Yasha?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."


	3. Chapter 2: A Night on the Town

_Author's Note: I will remind you, the reader, that this is an adult story intended for Mature audiences and there are some sexual references in this chapter. No one under 18 allowed._

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Sessho Maru looked down inside the well a little hesitantly. He thoughtfully fingered the Jewel shard that hung from a chain around his neck and then stepped off the edge into the miniature oblivion. He knew just how deep the well was and knew it shouldn't have taken but 2 seconds at most to hit the bottom. Yet it seemed as if he fell forever and, at the same time, no time at all. The well filled with a strange energy that, to Sessho Maru's youkai senses, semed as tangible as the water the well had once contained centuries ago. Then suddenly his booted feet were touching the well's floor as gently as if he had merely walked down a flight of stairs.

"Did it work?" he wondered aloud to no one. No answer. He looked up.. He couldn't see the sky anymore. "It must have," he murmered, remembering the things that Kagome had told him concerning what to expect on the other side of the well. She had told him about the shed that had been built, sheltering the well. He spotted the ladder that Kagome had spoken of and began to climb. He silently cursed the boots that covered his normally bare feet. He hated having the boots on. He felt cut off from the earth. "I could climb a lot easier without these damned boots," he grumbled, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the cumbersome things.

He emerged from the well and looked at the piece of paper that Kagome had pressed into his clawed hand before his journey into the well. She had explained that it was a note for her mother and grandfather. She said that it would explain to them about Sessho Maru and assured him that he would be welcome to stay with her family while he was in the modern age. He studied the note for a moment, wishing that he could read the weird scrawly, scribbly markings. _**Hmph. Humans and their strange ways**_, he thought, rolling his eyes in annoyance. Looking up, he trudged out of the shelter of the shed and thus took his first steps into the modern world.

Strange scents assaulted him from every side, overloading even his sharp youkai senses. It took a couple of minutes for his demon powers to sort through all the new smells so that they wouldn't be so overwhelming. _snff snff, SNFFF _ _**A human scent**_, he thought. Female. _**She smells like Kagome, yet not the same.**_ He took in another smell. _**It must be her mother.**_ Sessho Maru headed in the direction that the scent was coming from. Hmmm... _SNFF SNFF SNFFFFFFF_ What was that smell? It smelled _snff snfff_ DELICIOUS!!

Forgetting that he was the foreigner, as it were, Sessho Maru stuck his head in through the door and whuffed in another appreciative sniff.

"AAAAAAH!!!!" came a shout and, before Sessho Maru could even blink WHAM!!! Suddenly Sessho Maru was seeing plenty of stars that would go nicely with the crescent moon mark on his forehead, if they weren't so painful, that is. The stars in his eyes were suddenly accompanied by a ringing in his sensitive demon ears, caused by a loud voice shouting at him angrily. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!!!!!"

It took Sessho Maru a few moments to answer, as he was busy trying to uncross his eyes and recover from being bashed in the face with a cooking utensil. It didn't really help at all that the pan was hot off the stove. Just as his eyes came into focus, he saw the woman poised and ready to slam him again. When he didn't answer quickly enough, she moved to strike him again. Luckily his reflexes were still in operation and he snatched out a clawed fist and caught hold of her wrist.

"Sessho Maru. My name is Sessho Maru. Your daughter, Kagome, told me to give you this. I am from Feudal Japan and the older brother of Inu Yasha." He released her wrist and handed her the note.

She snatched it from his grasp and read it quickly. Relief washed over her features. She turned to him. "I'm SO sorry about that, but you startled me! I thought you were an attacker or something."

"Mom! Mom, are you alright?!" came a male voice. A moment later a boy, who looked to be about 15 came running in.

"It's ok, Sota. It was just a misunderstanding," she assured him.

Sota eyed Sessho Maru for a moment. "Who's this?"

"Sota, this is Inu Yasha's older brother, Sessho Maru."

Sota's eyes widened at the mention of the hanyou that was still his hero as well as his brother-in-law. Sessho Maru could barely keep back a smirk as the scent of the boy changed, signifying his admiration of Inu Yasha. Clearly the boy had been in awe of Inu Yasha for many years.

"So, you're practically my brother-in-law too!" Sota exclaimed with a grin. He stuck out a hand to Sessho Maru in a gesture that the youkai didn't recognize. Sessho Maru maintained his cool, passive gaze, yet he couldn't hide his confusion in his eyes as he peered at Sota's hand, wondering what the boy wanted from him. Sota blinked awkwardly before realizing that Sessho Maru didn't understand this gesture.

"What does this mean?" Sessho Maru asked as Sota pulled his hand back.

"It's a gesture of respectful greeting that basically has the same meaning as bowing," Sota explained. "Here, I'll show you." Sessho Maru's eyes widened with surprise as Sota boldly reached out and grasped his right hand and, with a firm grip, gave it a quick shake before letting go.

Before Sessho Maru could even react, Sota was addressing his mother. "What smells so good, Mom?"

"Oden. But you'll need to eat fast so that you can get to work on time."

"Hey, Mom! Guess who's playing at the club tonight?" Sota asked eagerly.

"Who?"

"_Under _Shadows!"

"Really?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, sounding impressed. "Isn't that the band with that red-headed girl? Their music is very good, even if it is American."

Sota laughed as he helped himself to the oden. He eyed Sessho Maru, who was just quietly sitting as if trying to figure out what would happen next. "Hey, Sessho Maru. Do you wanna come with me to work tonight? It'll give you an opportunity to see the town."

Sessho Maru's head tipped thoughtfully. "What is a club?" he asked.

"It's where I work. I clean tables there and wash dishes. It's where people come for entertainment. Lots of people come through to sing for our customers."

"And this _Under Shadows_? They are here to entertain your customers?" Sessho Maru asked, tasting the strange words on his tongue.

Sota grinned. "Yeah! They are really good. _Under Shadows_ is an awesome band! Rina, the red-head that my mom was just talking about, does most of the singing, but Kuri does vocals too as well as providing some of the music that they sing to. It's kinda hard for me to explain. Maybe you should come with me tonight. I could get you free food and drinks for the evening."

Sessho Maru was becoming more intrigued. _**It would be a good way for me to see this era and its cultures**_, he thought to himself. "I do believe that I will accompany you," he said passively.

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Sessho Maru was glad that Inu Yasha couldn't see him now. Inu Yasha had only known the emotionless side of Sessho Maru; the Sessho Maru that could never be phased or surprised by anything. However, Sessho Maru's wildest imaginations concerning the future never came even remotely close to the noisy city that was Tokyo, Japan. At the current moment, Sessho Maru's biggest challenge was to keep his jaw shut rather than letting it fall open in astonishment. His youkai senses were still having a wee bit of trouble trying to process and work through all the strange sights and smells. Already his neck was a little stiff from being in the awkward position that he kept it in so that he could take full measure of the forest of massive glass and metal buildings. If Inu Yasha could see him so flustered, Sessho Maru was sure that the hanyou would never let him forget it!

"Come on, Sessho!" Sota called to him, already shortening his name. "I know that this is still pretty new to you, but I'm gonna be late!"

Sessho Maru grudgingly followed the boy, still trying to catch peeks here and there while still maintaining movement. Before long they reached a building that was close to the beach. Sota walked calmly inside and Sessho Maru followed. What greeted Sessho Maru's eyes -- once they adjusted to the darkness -- were many tables. Palm trees peppered the expansive room, which seemed to center around an upraised flat area that was lit up by colors that reminded Sessho Maru a little of a sunset. The room was empty for the moment, but, from what Sota had told him, it would be quite full in a little while. Apparently it was only open for the nights.

Sessho Maru was practically twitching with boredom. He actually didn't mind accompanying Sota to work tonight, but the restaurant wouldn't be open for another couple of hours.

"Sessho?" came Sota's voice. Sessho Maru snapped out of his agitated reverie to find an apologetic Sota standing before him. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't even think about what you could do before the club opens tonight."

"It's alright," Sessho Maru replied, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice

"Hey!" Sota said, his face lighting up. "Why don't you go and hang out on the beach for awhile! That should keep you busy until the club opens up."

Sessho Maru tipped his head thoughtfully. "Perhaps I shall," he said passively before turning and walking out the doors. He inhaled the tangy sea air deeply, the smell of the ocean and seaweed seeping into his soul and soothing away his uncharacteristic agitation. Suddenly he looked down. His boots. His eyes flashed with newfound annoyance. Here he was, after all, on the beach with its luxurious cushion of smooth sand and he was wearing boots!

Sessho Maru grinned slightly as he plopped down into the sand to remove the offending boots. He could barely keep back a purring grunt of pleasure as he felt his bare toes come into contact with the silky sand. The feeling of the earth beneath his bare feet once again was intoxicating as Sessho Maru felt energy return. To anyone who looked at him, he still seemed as if he was devoid of a pulse, but his eyes glimmered with life. He felt more refreshed than he could ever remember feeling.

What happened next Sessho Maru still couldn't explain. I mean, it wasn't as if he had never heard laughter before. He'd heard it plenty of times, both the kind that could send shivers up one's spine and the kind that could just bring a glimmer of warmth to one's day. But this was different. It reminded him of bells ringing merrily. His ears twitched as he strained to find the source of this delightful sound.

There. She was a little ways down the beach from him. She wore a purple tank top and jeans that she had rolled up to mid-thigh. Even from the distance Sessho Maru could make out her eye color. They were an unearthly emerald color that made Sessho Maru wonder if the sparkling orbs truly were made of gemstones. But the thing that caught his attention the most was her hair. Sessho Maru was used to seeing the raven-haired Japanese with their soulful doe-colored eyes, but he had never seen anyone whose hair matched the color of the setting sun. Her fiery auburn locks spilled down to her waist, catching the light and Sessho Maru could make out glints of natural reddish-gold highlights. Even more entrancing were her thick curls. Sessho Maru was surprised to feel his fingers twitch. He actually wanted to walk up to her and just grab a fistful of the fiery curls and nuzzle his face into them. He breathed in her scent. She smelled of lilacs, the sea, and happiness.

She seemed to be playing a game with the surf. She would dash out, charging into the water as if daring it to try and catch her. Then the surf would take up her challenge and she would dart nimbly back up toward the shore and the water would splash high on her shapely legs, causing her to laugh with delight at the friendly coolness. Sessho Maru was stunned. Both at the strange feelings she evoked and the fact that he actually wanted to go and talk to her.

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Rina plopped down on her beach blanket, tired after her exertions. She knew that Souji would probably be furious for her coming out, but she always felt better when she got to be near the ocean. She swore that it helped her sing better. She loved the smell of the sea water. She always hated to leave when they went to other towns for gigs. She accepted that this was just a part of her chosen vocation, but she was never happier than when she got to romp in the water and breathe in the comforting sea air. She loved being on stage--she loved it more than anything, but she had really come to treasure the times when she could come home, even if it was just for a little while.

She took in another appreciative whiff of her beloved sea air. Suddenly a new smell reached her nostrils causing her ears to twitch slightly. Rina never really new why, but she had always had sharper senses than most. Normally she didn't pay much attention to the scents of other people around her, but the salty breeze carried a new scent to her sensitive nose. This one was . . . different. She whuffed in a few more breaths trying to identify just what it was about this scent that had caught her attention. The musky scent brought to memory a wolf that she had seen once at a zoo, but that scent was mingled with the refreshing smell of forests and mountain springs. Utterly wild and untamed the scent was. At the same moment her ears caught the whisper of approaching footsteps across the beach sand.

Rina looked up and found the source of the strange scent standing about 10 feet away from her. She blinked in surprise. The man was tall-- about 6'5" and she had to strain her neck just to look him in the face--he had a youthful face that still seemed ancient somehow. His expression was one of quiet seriousness, enhanced by the deep golden amber orbs that were his eyes. His cheeks bore a pair of strange, yet still endearing, slash marks. His long, thick hair reached to nearly his knees and was a lush, snowy-silver. The glints of light from the setting sun deepened the appealing soft appearance that gave Rina a strange urge just to run her fingers through it. He wore a baseball cap with the logo of an American football team, a fairly tight sky-blue t-shirt that proudly showed off his powerful and muscular chest and shoulders and he wore blue jeans that were rolled up to just above his knees. He was barefoot. As he came closer she caught a slight glimpse of his forehead. What marking was that? It looked a little bit like a crescent moon, but she couldn't see enough of it to be sure.

_**Whoa, buddy. Who and what are you?**_ she thought, now wondering if she should stay or run. There was something truly deadly and menacing about this stranger that approached her.

Sessho Maru had surprised himself by actually walking towards the flame-haired girl. He didn't know why he was even bothering other than sheer curiosity. I mean, for gods sake, she was a human after all. And yet... There was something intermingled wither her human scent. Something that even his youkai senses couldn't identify, and that bothered him. Yet the strange scent didn't carry any threat to it, so he kept going. Then he got his second surprise. He wasn't 10 feet away from her when suddenly she looked up as though she had known that he was there all along! That stopped Sessho Maru right in his tracks though he managed to keep his normal passive mask. But damn! her eyes were unnerving! They bore straight into his as she studied him. For some reason Sessho Maru looked down at her nose, which twitched and flared as if she were sniffing him out! He tipped his head slightly out of curiosity. Could she actually smell and hear him? Then he saw something shadow her deep emerald eyes. Uncertainty? Yes. She was actually a little bit afraid. Sessho Maru watched her eyes as he started toward her again. She got to her feet and faced him, her eyes sharp and questioning while her face wore an expression identical to Sessho Maru's.

The endless emerald eyes narrowed at him. "Um, may I help you? Are you lost?" Her voice was tight with defiance.

Sessho Maru blinked. Her voice, even strained, broke over him like a waterfall of honey. And she spoke flawless Japanese. "Actually, this is my first time here."

"Well, do I look like a map?" she snapped. Ah. Sessho Maru could smell it on her. She didn't normally act like this unless she felt cornered. He thought that he could practically see the fur puffing up, trying to make herself seem tougher than she really was. And yet--those eyes. They held a measure of absolute deadliness that proclaimed she had no doubt whatsoever that she could take care of herself. _**Hmmm. In other words, tread carefully. She may not be as strong as you but she could still cause some damage if provoked**_, he thought to himself passively. Still, it was rather strange, disconcerting even, to meet a seemingly human female that possessed an aura of danger that equaled his.

Even then, Sessho Maru was having a hard time keeping from reacting to her insolence. He wasn't used to lowly humans addressing him in such a manner. _**But**_, he reminded himself tightly, _**I'm not in the Feudal Era. This girl doesn't know that humans normally fear me and bow to me.**_

"I'm Sessho Maru," he said at last. The girl just continued to watch him with quiet wariness. "Do you not have a name?"

Rina liked his voice, though she wasnt' about to admit it. His voice was deep, smooth, and carried a glimmer of the youth that was on his face. Not to mention that he sounded UBER sexy. Dark chocolate sexy. Please-say-my-name-so-I-can-faint sexy. Now, though, it was tainted with annoyance. Tch. Well, she hadn't asked him to come barging over to her.

"Katrina," she said at last, giving him her given name. He wouldn't be here long enough to know what she was normally called, so what the hell did it matter?

Sessho Maru let the sound of her name roll around in his mind for a moment. Yes, he thought that it was a lovely name--for a human--yet it didn't seem to fit her somehow.

"You're not from around here, are you," he said somewhat lazily without really thinking, especially before considering the fact that it was like the pot calling the kettle black.

Sure enough. Katrina hiked an eyebrow at him. "What gave you that idea?" she demanded sarcastically. "Besides, look who's talking!" she shot a pointed look at Sessho Maru's silver locks and the slash marks on each cheek.

Now Sessho Maru was intrigued. She had fire, that's for sure. And she didn't let anyone push her around. "There's no reason to get offended, Firefly," he remarked cooly and calmly, crowning her with the first name that came to mind. Katrina, to him, seemed like a name for a simpering princess, not the spitfire that stood before him.

Rina eyed him warily, thinking for a moment of how he'd just called her by a nickname that her parents used to call her when she was a little girl.

"No, I'm not from here originally," she said at last. "But I grew up here after my parents died." She looked down at her watch. "Look, I gotta go and get ready for work." She turned and started to walk away.

Sessho Maru didn't want her to leave, thus he reacted by doing the first thing that came to mind. He reached out and grasped her arm. He couldn't let her leave. Not yet. Bad move, as he was about to find out. He heard her gasp in surprise and a little fear and then suddenly WHAM!!!! he felt her elbow smash instinctively into the side of his face before she grabbed his wrist and yanked it in a motion that caused him to flip over and land hard on his back.

She grasped him by the shirt and got in his face. Her snapping green eyes were practically shooting sparks and they declared that she had thought his intentions much worse than what Sessho Maru had actually been thinking.

"Don't. Touch. Me," she growled, her voice snarling and low. Something in her voice, the way she growled, wasn't human. But he couldn't place what the menacing sound was. She pushed him back down into the sand before standing upright and turning on her heel and stalking off.

Sessho Maru sat up and watched her leave, bringing a hand to his face where she had smashed him with her elbow. A small smile quirked the corners of his mouth, bringing a gleam to his normally-expressionless eyes. _**She is feisty**_, he thought with uncharacteristic amusement. _**I can't think of a more worthy sparring partner.**_ And not just in the training ring, but in his bed. His smile widened at the thought. She was indeed a spitfire who would ride him well. Ferociously. Passionately. She would know no other way, he was sure of it.

She was out of sight now. No matter. He could find her again if he wanted.

-------------------- 

-------------------- 

Rina muttered angrily to herself all the way back toward the club. She could feel his eyes on her--as tangible as a shivering caress on her back. She was relieved when she finally rounded the corner that took her out of the line of sight of those unearthly golden orbs. She shivered slightly and then nearly slapped herself. _**Oy! Geez! He's just a weird guy! Knock it off!**_

"Rina!" Kuri came bouncing up, her face screwed up in a tense expression. "What the hell took you so long! Hurry up and get dressed before Souji has a cow!" Rina had barely two words for her best friend as she still had too much of the strange Sessho Maru dominating her thoughts. _**Dammit! And what the hell did he think he was doing when he grabbed me?!**_ she fumed silently. **_And yet, why didn't he come after me when I hit him? He looked powerful enough to where he could have done some damage_**, she wrung her hands in annoyance. _**The way that he watched me as I left--as if he was just biding his time until--**_ An unbidden image flashed across her mind---one of skin sliding against skin, breathy moans, and keening cries of ecstacy. She shivered at the thought. _**I don't know what in all hells he was. I couldn't smell a trace of humanity on him except for what was on his clothes . . . even when I was kicking his ass**_. She was jerked out of her troubled reverie when Kuri breezed into the room.

"Ok, girl. Let's find you something to wear!"

Rina sighed. "Kuri, I already know what I'm going to wear, it's just that I was thinking." To prove her point, she walked to the little closet and selected an emerald-colored velvet bell-sleeve shirt/corset and a pair of black leather flares. The shirt was one of her favorites. The front was lace up and the sleeves were detatched at the shoulder so that her shoulders remained bare. The sleeves stopped at her elbow before they spilled down past her wrist in a waterfall of emerald velvet. God bless Hot Topic. She completed the ensemble with her favorite pair of combat boots, a choker with an emerald surrounded by diamonds, and a pair of earrings that rang like little bells when she moved. With Kuri's help, she piled some of her flaming curls on top of her head, leaving the rest to flow down her back, looking even more fiery with the emerald color of the shirt. Gothic elegance with her own taste added to it.

Kuri grinned. "Girl, you look good!" Kuri looked great too. She was dressed somewhat similarly, but her top was a black and red corset with Japanese-style frog buttons going down the front. She wore black leather pants that laced up on the outside of each leg. The space between the ties showed an enticing strip of skin from ankle to hip. She had her feet clad in buckled combat boots.

"Rina! Kuri!" Souji bellowed as he came charging backstage in his usual agitated manner. "We're on in 15!" He stopped briefly to eye the girls. "You two look fantastic," he grinned in a moment of uncharacteristic kindness.

--------------------

Sessho Maru sat quietly at the table that Sota had escorted him to. Sota had gasped at the bruise on Sessho Maru's left cheek, but Sessho Maru had merely waved him off gruffly and sat down. He absently toyed with the food before him, his mind completely elsewhere. _**Dammit!**_, he growled under his breath. She was just a human! How could a mere human woman capture his thoughts so firmly? He had to clench his fists in concentration to keep from banging the table in frustration. He, Sessho Maru, did NOT get hung up over one simple human woman. Granted, he admired the fire and zest that she possessed. She even put to shame some of the pathetic demons that Sessho Maru had no doubt would melt at even her feet in the face of the fire in her emerald eyes. Still, she was just a human. She should be easy to forget. Besides, it was foolish to even harbor such thoughts of this human. After all, Sessho Maru had not forgotten the fate of the last human that had been in his company. Sessho Maru didn't even bother to try to disguise the pain that flashed across his face as he remembered Rin's death.

Sessho Maru looked up as he heard a slight clatter on the platform that Sota called a "stage". Sota had managed to take the time to explain the different instruments that were used for making music. But Sessho Maru still remained doubtful as to the musical abilities of the items on the stage.

He watched as people took their positions at the different instruments. He noticed the expectant hush that fell over the dark room.

Then a woman's voice rang out in the pitch black room.

_---Now I will tell you what I've done for you---_

_snff snff __**That smell**_, Sessho Maru thought with surprise

FLASH! The stage was lit up so bright that it hurt Sessho Maru's sensitive youkai eyes.

_---50 thousand tears I've cried_

_Screaming, deceiving, and bleeding for you_

_And you still won't hear me!_

_(I'm going under!)---_

Sessho Maru's jaw dropped open when his eyes adjusted to allow him a view of the woman on the stage. Katrina. No. She was the one called Rina.

The sight of her was enough to steal his breath away, especially the cold defiance that was in her eyes, which went perfect with what she sang next

_---Don't want your hand this time_

_I'll save myself!_

_Maybe I'll wake up for once_

_(Wake up for once!)_

_Not tormented daily defeated by you_

_Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom!_

_I'm dying again!_

_I'm going under!_

_Drowning in you!_

_I'm falling forever!_

_I've got to break through_

_I'm going under!---_

Rina had almost finished the chorus when she nearly tripped over herself as her sharp eyes caught sight and her nose caught the scent of the wolf and the forest. _**Sessho Maru!**_ Thankfully she managed to recover from the surprise with nary a noticeable slip. Her piercing emerald eyes met his intoxicating golden ones with fierce determination

_---Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies_

_(So I don't know what's real)_

_So I don't know what's real and what's not_

_(Don't know what's real and what's not!)_

_Always confusing the thoughts in my head_

_(Ooh, I)_

_So I can't trust myself anymore!_

_I'm dying again!_

_I'm going under!_

_Drowning in you!_

_I'm falling forever!_

_I've got to break through!_

_I'm--_

_So go on and scream!_

_Scream at me I'm_

_So far away_

_(So far away!)_

_I won't be broken again!_

_I've got to breathe!_

_I can't keep going under!---_

Sessho Maru watched Rina in complete awe, despite himself. Her voice didn't seem to have any limits to the heights it could reach. Remembering the sound of her laughter--it had been hard to imagine that anything could sound lovelier than that, but that had been before he had heard the powerful passion of her voice as she sang, defiance in her eyes that was accentuated by her movements around the stage. Sessho Maru loved the way that her fiery curls were set off by the billowy-sleeved upper garment that she wore.

Then her eyes locked boldly with his

_---I'm dying again!_

_I'm going under!_

_Drowning in you!_

_I'm falling forever!_

_I've got to break through_

_I'm going under! _

_Going under! _

_I'm going under!---_

Sessho Maru continued to stare in astonishment as everyone broke into enthusiastic and deafening applause, causing Rina's eyes to sparkle with breathless pleasure before the stage darkened slightly to a somber blue, preparing for the next song.

The music to the next song started up once the applause had died down. It was much calmer than the previous song. Sessho Maru detected the pensive sound of the music, enhanced by the muted blue light that lit the stage.

_---I'm standing on the bridge_

_I'm waiting in the dark_

_I thought that you'd be here by now_

_There's nothing but the rain_

_No footsteps on the ground_

_I'm listening but there's no sound_

_Isn't anyone trying to find me?_

_Won't somebody come take me home?_

_It's a damn cold night_

_Trying to figure out this life_

_Won't you take me by the hand_

_Take me somewhere new_

_I don't know who you are but I_

_I'm with you. I'm with you._

_Hmmm---_

Rina had managed to get comfortable with Sessho Maru's presense despite her surprise at seeing him, a bruise coloring his face where she'd hit him. But it was his gaze that she still found unnerving. Was he here to try to get her back for what had happened on the beach? Yet, as she sang, when she looked in his golden amber eyes, she did not see or even smell any intent of malice. Outwardly, he appeared quite relaxed and even seemed to be enjoying the show. She found her gaze locking with his again and she couldn't seem to look away. There was indeed a heat in his eyes, but not of anger. Of something else. And for a moment there were the images in her head that she saw earlier. The ones of her and Sessho Maru entangled and entwined. She gave herself a mental shake, her face already starting to heat up, her heart skipping a few beats.

_---I'm looking for a place_

_I'm searching for a face_

_Is anybody here I know?_

_'Cause nothing's going right_

_And everything's a mess_

_And no one likes to be alone_

_Isn't anyone trying to find me?_

_Won't somebody come take me home?_

_It's a damn cold night_

_Trying to figure out this life_

_Won't you take me by the hand_

_Take me somewhere new_

_I don't know who you are but I_

_I'm with you. I'm with you_

_Yeah yeah Oh!_

_Why is everything so confusing?_

_Maybe I'm just out of my mind_

_Yeah yeah yeah, _

_yeah yeah,_

_yeah yeah, _

_yeah yeah, _

_Yeah! Oh!_

_It's a damn cold night_

_Trying to figure out this life_

_Won't you take me by the hand_

_Take me somewhere new_

_I don't know who you are but I_

_I'm with you! _

_I'm with you!_

_Take me by the hand_

_Take me somewhere new_

_I don't know who you are but I_

_I'm with you! _

_I'm with you!_

_Take me by the hand_

_Take me somewhere new_

_I don't know who you are but I_

_I'm with you. _

_I'm with you. _

_I'm with you---_

This time Sessho Maru actually clapped with everyone else. He didn't even bother to try to keep his usual expressionless noh mask expression. His hands created a loud cracking sound as he slammed them together, adding to the cacophony that everyone else made over the performance.

_Under Shadows_ performed two more songs before relinquishing the stage to the next band, much to Sessho Maru's disappointment. After they left Sessho Maru spent the rest of the evening almost bored to tears wishing that Rina and Kuri would come back out, but they never did. However he did know that they would be playing the following night. At least that was something good.

-------------------- 

-------------------- 

"Hey, sweetie!" greeted Mrs. Higurashi when Sota and Sessho Maru returned from the club. "How was work?"

"Aw, same old same old," Sota grinned.

"How was _Under Shadows_?"

"They were really good! Even Sessho liked them!"

Mrs. Higurashi's eyes widened with surprise. "Really?" She turned to Sessho Maru for confirmation.

Sessho Maru merely shrugged, his expression and eyes as blankly calm as ever. "Yes, I did enjoy them," he said in his normal bored fashion. Yet if he allowed himself to express himself, his amber eyes would have been dancing with enthusiasm as he thought about the woman who had surprised him first at the beach and then on the stage and her music and then they would have darkened with disappointment as he remembered that he'd had to listen to a couple of other bands that were, in his opinion, mediocre at best. _**But, I'm not even from this time. Perhaps I do not even have an opinion really worth hearing**_, he mused to himself. He shrugged it off.

"Sota," he said quietly.

The boy looked up from the midnight snack he was digging out of the refrigerator. "Hmm?"

Sessho Maru tried not to blush as he made his request known. "I wish to go to the club again tomorrow," he said as nonchalantly as possible.

Sota, however, wasn't buying his doe-may-care facade. "You want to see Rina again, huh?" he grinned. "You seemed pretty taken with her." Sota turned to his mother. "Sessho Maru couldn't keep his eyes off her the entire night."

Sessho Maru's ears pinned back a little as he willed himself not to blush. He shrugged again.

Sota grinned wider. "Don't worry. You can come tomorrow again if you want."

Sessho Maru nodded primly before walking up the stairs to the room they were letting him stay in. His nose wrinkled slightly as he caught Inu Yasha's scent. Yet the involuntary reaction did not remain for long as Sessho Maru lay down quietly. Not five minutes later he was completely relaxed and completely asleep. The last thing to flit across his mind was an image of a girl with emerald eyes and flaming hair and the brief imagining of what it would feel like to have her legs wrapped around his waist.

And thus was Sessho Maru's first day in Modern Japan.


	4. Chapter 3: At the Beach Again

Sessho Maru woke up the next day wondering what to do next. His thoughts, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, were still fairly heavily on Rina. He reached up to touch the bruise on his face. It wasn't there. It had healed even before he and Sota had left the club last night.

He found the city very interesting, but it was too damn noisy. A sardonic smirk quirked the corners of his mouth slightly. He had come from a world that was much quieter into this future era to escape the known, and now all he wanted to do was to find a place that was quiet like the world from whence he came. But where? He still wanted to see more of the city, but for right now he just wanted to find a place to think.

The answer came into his mind as if it were whispered in his ear. The beach. _**Of course**_, he thought, remembering how refreshed it had made him feel last night. Then his memories strayed back to Rina. His eyes narrowed with annoyance.

_**Stop it**_, he commanded himself. _**If you go to the beach, you go because you need some peace. NOT because of that woman. She is just a human.**_ His lip curled as a physical piece of proof of the annoyance and unrest he felt. _**What's wrong with me? **_ he berated as he stepped noiselessly down the stairs to the kitchen of the Higurashi home. He had dreamed of her last night. Of the fiery red-head with emerald eyes. Of her slender, shapely legs wrapped around his waist. _**I am not normally like this. I, Lord Sessho Maru, do NOT indulge in sexual fantasies of human women.**_ He worked his features back to their normal stoic expression as he entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, Sessho-sama," greeted Mrs. Higurashi, who was busy at the stove making breakfast.

Sessho Maru bowed slightly.

"Are you hungry?" she asked cheerfully, completely clueless as to the darkness in Sessho Maru's eyes.

He sat down silently, not even responding, not even paying attention. Sessho Maru couldn't have explained his unusual mood even if he tried. This agitation was something that was completely different that Sessho Maru was having trouble figuring out.

"Sessho-sama?" Mrs. Higurashi's voice broke into his thoughts.

His ears twitched slightly as he looked up, the question on his face.

"I said what are you planning on doing today?" she repeated kindly.

Sessho Maru lifted his shoulders in a lazy shrug. "I had thought about returning to the beach," he said nonchalantly. This was met with an approving smile from Mrs. Higurashi as she piled sausages and eggs on his plate, thus causing Sessho Maru's nose to twitch and his stomach to rumble out a gurgling demand.

"The beach is a good idea," she said cheerfully. "Other than the God Tree, I find that the beach is the best place to clear my head and get some peace."

Sessho Maru jerked slightly upon hearing this. Was his mental fullness that obvious? The thought made him grumble under his breath as he took in a mouthfull of sausage to silence his fiercely growling belly.

Sessho Maru was done with breakfast and just about to head to the beach. He was dressed in something that the modern-day humans called "swimming shorts" with a sleeveless shirt called a "tank top". He had grudgingly accepted these articles but had almost adamantly refused the strange shoes called "sandals", not wanting to have to lose his bare-footed contact with the ground. But, as Mrs. Higurashi pointed out, the pavement would be boiling hot from the summer sun and said that even a youkai might have trouble handling the scalding temperature. Finally Sessho Maru accepted the sandals, relieved that at least they were light as opposed to the heavy boots that Kagome had given him.

His hand was on the door knob when he was stopped again. He looked back around to Mrs. Higurashi, trying to rein in his annoyance. But before he could say anything, she held up a strange large hard box that had a handle on top of it. Sessho Maru's annoyance was quelled by curiosity.

"It's a lunch box," she cheerfully explained. "I packed you some food in case you get hungry while at the beach."

Sessho Maru blinked. He hadn't even thought of that and he felt oddly touched that Mrs. Higurashi had. He accepted the "lunch box" with a respectful bow. Closing the door behind him, Sessho Maru took a brief whiff of the air, trying to decipher the scent of the ocean amidst the dirty, choking smells of the city. _snff snff _ Ah. There it was. At least now his youkai senses had pretty much adapted to the strange sights, smells, and sounds so that he didn't feel so overwhelmed. Hell, he was pretty much back to his old self.

It was nearly a half hour's walk to the beach, but Sessho Maru didn't mind. The destination was well worth the time. He breathed in appreciatively as the soothing sea air worked its magic and did much to soothe his still-agitated mind. That was the only thing that wasn't back to normal.

Sessho Maru nonchalantly watched other beach new-comers to see what they did so that he could blend in, though he was already getting a lot of open-mouthed stares from several scantily-clad females. He ignored them, however, trying not to wrinkle his nose at their unwelcome scent, especially when he could smell their attraction. Ugh. He spotted a more secluded place further down and proceeded to spread out his towel and set down his "lunch box". Following the example of the other males just arriving on the beach, he peeled of his tank top, revealing his powerful, well-built proportions. His nose wrinkled as he caught more scents from other females nearby and he could catch snatches of their whispering. He knew that they were talking about him and he could even comprehend some of the things that they were saying, though it wasn't anything he would care to remember. But honestly! What were they talking about "jumping his bones"? What purpose could that possibly serve being that bones were dead? Must be some strange modern ritual performed after someone's death.

_**Humans**_, he scoffed inwardly, _**especially these "modern" ones--I will never understand them.**_ Now he was practically gagging at the disgusting smell of the human pheromones that choked the air. He was relieved that not all of it was for him, but still! Suddenly... _SNFF SNFF_ _**Lilacs and that strange scent I couldn't quite pinpoint**_, he thought. _**Rina?**_ He looked around while continuously sniffing the air, no longer aware and no longer caring about the stupid human females. Suddenly he detected something intermingling with Rina's scent and it was a scent he recognized and could understand and comprehend: Anger. Someone was making her angry. Sessho Maru finally spotted her amidst the crowd a mere second later. Scratch that. She wasn't merely angry. She was severely and seethingly pissed off!

She was wearing the same type of scant clothing worn by the females here, yet hers was different. She wore tight shorts and a shirt that Sessho Maru had heard being called a "halter top" and it was clear that she was dressed to swim, but her sense of enticing modesty just made her more attractive, in Sessho Maru's opinion--at least more attractive than the barely-clothed sluts that he'd come across. And apparently he wasn't the only one who found her appealing. She was sitting on her blanket, her knees raised, supporting a notebook on it, and there were three males, reeking of arrogance and highly- spiked testosterone, harrassing her.

Even from his distance Sessho Maru could see her emerald eyes glimmering angrily and her jaw clenched tightly, but she proudly refused to acknowledge her tormentors--that is until one of the offenders dared to snatch her notebook off of her knees.

Sessho Maru's pace quickened as he smelled Rina's anger boil higher, yet she still tried to maintain control.

"Give me back my notebook. Now," she ground out through tightly clenched teeth.

The culprit holding her notebook raised a hand to his chin, rubbing it as if in deep thought. "Hmmm...how about you come with me and give me a water fuck and perhaps I'll think about it."

Sessho Maru was now angry. Human males were so bloody perverted and completely without honor! He was just about to lunge through the air at the disgusting human male when Rina beat him to it.

She struck out at the male with a lightning fast hand and struck him across the face--but it wasn't just a mere open-handed slap. She had her fingers curled talon- fashion so that when she struck him she left four bloody slashes in her wake. The other two intruders lunged at her but they didn't even get two steps before she dealt with them. The first one she dispatched to unconsciousness when she backhanded him across the nose, aiming for the most sensitive part. Blood gushed from the antagonist's nose in a red haze of protest. She felled the last one by following through with the momentum of her first blow and landed a high round kick square to his temple with her right foot. He dropped faster than the first one. The first, who now bore bloody slash marks on his left cheek, had recovered from the shock and tried to attack Rina when her back faced him as she kicked the daylights out of the second. But it was as if she knew all along what he was going to do because she kept going with the momentum of her round kick and dropped low to the ground, sweeping her left foot out in a backward sweep and swiped his feet right out from under him. She followed through and brought her right elbow slamming to his chest, knocking the wind out of his lungs.

Sessho Maru stopped in his tracks when she landed the first blow and watched with fascination as she dropped the three offenders quicker than he'd ever seen a human fight. It was like she was one step ahead of them, though that could hardly be counted as a huge accomplishment as they were three of the clumsiest humans Sessho Maru had ever seen. Still, he remembered how he had hardly been able to see her arm move as she lashed out with that first blow, leaving bright red slash marks on the face of her tormentor and leaving bruises on the rest.

_**How can she move that fast?**_ Sessho Maru wondered. _**Probably just her anger combined with her training that gave her such speed. Those bakas deserved it.**_

Suddenly Rina turned around and latched her emerald eyes on Sessho Maru, locking knowingly her glittering emerald depths with his golden orbs.

Rina was breathing heavily from anger. Why was it that she was such a jerk magnet? All she had wanted for her free time today was to come to the beach for a peaceful day and try to get some writing done. _**I mean, jeez! I didn't get shit for sleep last night!**_** s**he raged inwardly. Her dreams had been too troubled with images of her and Sessho Maru rolling about in passionate frenzy. Normally such thoughts made her blush with embarrassment. And yet she couldn't seem to stop and had thus woken up extremely horny and sexually frustrated, which were new feelings for her.

So was that really too much to ask for a LITTLE peace and quiet to sort out her thoughts? She felt she'd gotten her answer to that question when the largest of the tormentors had snatched her notebook and demanded that she give him a water fuck. She had been trying to rein in her temper, which matched her flaming hair to boot, but at those words she completely snapped. And she had enjoyed it too. The feel of her nails tearing like cat claws through the skin of the male who had said those words, the feel of bone crunching under the force of her fist as she backhanded the second one, and the satisfying shock that ran up her leg as she brought her swift foot to bear on the temple of the third. She had relished watching the first one fall as she swiped his feet out from under him and had felt a satisfying sensation of dangerous rage run through her stomach as she had brought down her elbow on his chest with all the force that her body could muster. Her satisfaction was grim as she heard him start choking desperately for air.

She stood to her feet, now ready to acknowledge the scent that had reached her sensitive nostrils a few minutes before she was harassed. She turned her head to find Sessho Maru among the crowed of fascinated onlookers. She could see the anger and disgust in his eyes and she could smell it on him, yet she was still too angry to let it reach her common sense. Besides, she still remembered yesterday. And she wasn't quite ready to forgive him for invading her thoughts and dreams.

"What, is this Asshole Day?" she ground out under her breath in frustration. She saw Sessho Maru's strange pointed ears twitch and she knew that he'd heard her. His eyes darkened slightly.

However, it was beach security that took her attention at the moment as they came to investigate the disturbance. All of the onlookers avidly and heatedly proclaimed the unconscious offenders the ones who started it and that Rina had merely been defending herself. That was all that the security officers needed to hear as they dragged off the moaning males, leaving Rina to glare after them as if wishing that she could have done more target practice, especially on their unmentionable areas. _**Males like that should not be allowed to reproduce**_, she thought with disgust. _**In fact, they should all be castrated with pencil erasers.**_

Suddenly she was aware of Sessho Maru's scent again. He had come closer. In fact. He was right behind her now. She turned around, her green eyes still snapping with anger. Not just anger, but humiliation and shame.

Sessho Maru was aware of this. She had been treated like a common whore and he could tell that that wasn't something that she was accustomed to nor had she learned how to deal with it and work through it. And yet he wondered if this kind of thing had happened before. Perhaps that was why she had reacted so violently last night when he had grasped her arm, only wanting her to stay and talk to him a little while longer.

Sessho Maru felt a fresh lick of anger race through his body at the thought of Rina being mistreated like what had just happened. He didn't even bother trying to quell it nor did he try to figure out why he was behaving so much unlike his normal self.

He opened his mouth to try to offer some words of comfort, though he didn't know what to say, but he didn't have but a second to wonder about it since Rina just abruptly tore her eyes away from his and turned on her heel, walking straight toward the water.

Rina plunged angrily into the cool, welcoming surf, gratefully losing herself in its comfort. Her arms lashed out in forceful strokes as she kicked for the deeper waters. She could feel that unearthly gaze on her again, yet she was beginning to wonder if she had been wrong about Sessho Maru yesterday when she had hit him and knocked him to the ground.

_**Well, how was I supposed to react?**_ she wondered to herself with annoyance. _**I don't like being grabbed, especially by people I don't even know.**_ Yet she remembered how she had felt when she had smelled the scent of wolf musk combined with forest pine and clear springs. The effect it had had on her had been soothing, helping her to rein in her temper while being harassed until the one with the big mouth had said those vile words to her. Then the scent had somehow made her feel empowered--as if she were a creature of the wild. She had shown those creeps that they couldn't treat her so shamefully and leave uninjured with all parts intact.

Then she remembered the anger and disgust in Sessho Maru's eyes and the smell of his ire choking the welcome wild scent of him. He had been angry and disgusted at those creeps. And when he had looked at her, it had been an expression of grudging concern--as if he wanted to know that she was alright, but wouldn't be caught dead admitting it.

When Rina finally calmed down she headed back to shore. Her swim had done much to soothe and calm her down. She felt her feet come in contact with the sand and smiled as the surf swirled noisily about her legs as she tromped from the water. Her smile vanished, however, when she saw who was waiting for her by her blanket.

_**Sessho Maru?**_ she questioned mentally with much annoyance. She sighed. _**Fine. He just better leave me alone**_, she thought darkly as she made her way to her spot.. She saw his nose give the slightest of twitches as he detected her scent—_**Hold the phone. He can **__smell__** me?!**_ Her own nose twitched slightly. _**What the hell is he?**_ she wondered to herself for the umpteenth time since meeting him yesterday. He didn't even look up as she sat down next to him.

Sessho Maru tried to keep an air of his usual nonchalance as Rina sat next to him on her blanket. _**That's a good sign**_, he thought wryly. _**She hasn't pounded me yet for invading her space**_. Gods, she had been so beautiful as she had taken down her harassers! There were few things he respected more than someone who could take care of themselves. Few things he found more sexy than a warrioress. He noiselessly breathed in her scent. Salt water mixed with the scent of lilacs. Her scent bespoke of a lingering agitation, but there was no trace of anger. Just wariness. _**She knows that I am not human**_, Sessho Maru realized.

Awkward silence stretched between them as each tried to think of what to say.

"Are you alright?" Sessho Maru finally spoke. Her head jerked around to face him, surprise etched on her face. He turned his head to look at her.

Finally she nodded. "Yes," she said quietly.

"I was coming to rid you of those disgusting males, but you had taken them down before I even had to lift a finger," he explained to her, though he didn't know why he was even bothering.

Rina blinked at him. "You were coming to help me?" she asked, somewhat skeptically. Then she remembered the anger and disgust in his eyes when her gaze had met his earlier.

Sessho Maru nodded before looking away. Silence settled again, but the tension wasn't as thick. Rina reached for her notebook and began to write and doodle. Sessho Maru couldn't resist looking over her shoulder curiously. The writing wasn't anything that he could decipher, but the drawing was. As the lines from her pen began to take life, he realized with shock that she was drawing him! He stared in fascination as his features spilled onto the page from her skillful hands. Yet--wait a minute! He looked absolutely ridiculous! Sessho Maru was appalled at the goofy expression that she depicted on his drawn face. He had heard once that artists show the world as they see it through their eyes. Was this how she saw him? She didn't even know him! Obviously!

She looked over at him and grinned. "No, I don't think you look that goofy," she explained as if she had read his thoughts. "I was just trying to imagine what you would look like if you smiled."

"Feh!" Sessho Maru grouched. "Highly doubtful that will ever happen at this point."

She laughed and started a new page to humor his irritation. She couldn't believe that she was actually enjoying the company of this strange, seemingly emotionless...whatever he was. Now she didn't even really care what he was. She became just a little distracted by realizing how close he was as he peered over her shoulder at her work. She could feel his breath on the base of her neck where it met her shoulder column. She fought the shiver that threatened to ripple up her spine. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she worked to duplicate the markings on Sessho Maru's face to the new drawing.

Sessho Maru had been able to smell the sudden rise in her body temperature and the corners of his mouth quirked in amusement at the dusting of goosebumps that rose where his breath hit her skin. A part of her desired him. That much he could tell just by the subtle change in her scent. Roses. She smelled like roses when passion stirred within her.

He watched as his face translated realistically onto the page under her skillful strokes and then began to shade it, giving it added dimension from the highlights. Upon finishing the drawing, she gently tore it loose from her notebook and handed it to him.

Sessho studied his ink likeness. It was definitely a much more serious expression, practically emotionless. He blinked. Was this what he really looked like? Sessho Maru looked at the translation of his eyes and realized that she had even incorporated a glimmer of the pain that he was so certain could not be seen by anyone! Yet even though she had drawn what she had seen, Sessho Maru found himself looking back at the goofy caricature she had done of him earlier. There she had added life and happiness to his features whereas this second drawing depicted how dead and unhappy he really was.

Rina watched his face as he silently studied the drawing, his eyes occasionally narrowing in thought, in which he seemed completely lost. She caught him sneaking looks at the previous drawing. Rina was surprised to realize that she really wanted to know what he was thinking; did he really like her work?

_**Why should that matter so much to me?**_ she thought to herself in annoyance. Still...she subtlely flared her nostrils trying to catch his scent to see if she could get any clue as to what he was thinking. _snff snff_ Hmmmm. He was torn. In looking at her second drawing, he didn't like what he saw in himself. He sneaked another glance at the caricature.

"Whatcha think?" Rina asked at last. "Do you like the drawing?"

"Feh," was the answer, but before Rina could react to the rude sound, he reached out for the notebook and tore the other drawing out. "You do good work," he gruffly replied. "I suppose I shall also take the silly one," he said, trying to sound doe-may-care. However, Rina didn't seem to be buying it, as evidenced by the grin that lightened her features.

"Listen," she said, trying to change the subject. "I'm sorry about hitting you yesterday."

"You needn't apologize," Sessho Maru replied. "After what I witnessed today, I don't doubt that you felt you had a reason to strike out at me." He looked at her, disgust at the memory of those perverts darkening his golden amber gaze. "Your response was a reflex action when I grabbed your arm. Apparently you have had to fight for yourself before."

Rina looked away. She didn't want him to see that he'd touched a nerve. Pain colored her features as she tried to keep the memories at bay.

Sessho Maru watched her quietly, the smell of her pain tainting her sweet, strange pureness. He didn't want to pressure her, but he wanted to know what had happened to her. He didn't know why. He just did. "What happened to you, Firefly?" he asked quietly. He felt the need to put a serious hurt on anyone who had ever DARED to cause her pain.

Rina's eyes squeezed shut, trying to block out the endearment. She had never told anyone. Like she was really going to tell a complete stranger! She jumped up and walked away, thinking to get away from the question--to get away from Sessho Maru. But, just like yesterday, he wasn't letting her escape so easily. He could understand that she didn't want to talk about whatever trauma she had suffered, but even though he wasn't going to force her to answer, he wasn't letting her run away.

"Rina, wait!" he ordered, forgetting himself. He grasped at her arm firmly. Sure enough. She uttered a strangled cry that sounded like an animalistic growl and whirled at him, her fist intending to replenish the bruise that she had left yesterday. This time, however, Sessho Maru was way ahead of her. He brought up his other hand and grasped her wrist with the intention of blocking it. He made no move to strike out at her. She lashed at him again and again, her strikes as lightning quick as before. Each time Sessho Maru blocked them, giving a semblance of ease by the neutral expression on his face, but he was having to move fast to keep her blows from landing. Finally he grew tired of her trying to use him as a punching bag and he grabbed her wrists and swiped her feet out from under her, knocking her down. Sessho Maru went down with her, still keeping a hold on her wrists. He landed with his upper body pinning her down and kept her there as she struggled beneath him, ready to scream. He transferred her other wrist to where one of his large fists held both her wrists captive and the other hand covered her mouth.

"Rina, stop it. I'm not going to hurt you," he said, trying to break through the wildness that had overcome her emerald orbs, coloring her face. Still she fought. "I will let you go when you stop trying to lambast me," now his voice held a taint of annoyance. Finally she stopped, completely wrung out. Her sides heaved, pressing up against Sessho Maru's torso as she breathed. Without meaning to, he became painfully aware at the way her body fit him as he stretched over her. Her softness. Her curves. So insistent was the sudden urge to kiss her that he needed to distract himself immediately.

"Are you ready to calm down?" he asked quietly, his hand still over her mouth, but not too hard. She nodded--defeated. He quietly released her. Rina refused to look at him and even inched away from him slightly.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly to her. "I am sorry if I yet again provoked you. You don't have to tell me anything, Firefly, but what I won't let you do is run away. Running away only makes the pain last longer." As Sessho Maru said this, however, he was surprised to feel an overwash of shame. _**Running away. That's fine advice coming from me considering that's all I've done since Rin died**_, he thought bitterly.

"You're a better survivor than I am," he said softly, his deep voice a growling whisper. That got Rina's attention.

"I doubt that," she finally replied, causing Sessho Maru's head to jerk in her direction with surprise.

"Don't," he said quietly. "Don't doubt it for a minute. Whatever trauma you've suffered, at least you managed to get yourself through it well enough to where you can at least live. I cannot even remember the last time when I truly lived."

"Is that why you were having such a staring debate at the drawings earlier?" she asked softly.

Sessho Maru didn't respond for a moment. "Yes," he said softly.

Silence fell heavily between them, each of them silently licking their own open wounds.

"Sessho Maru?" Rina finally said after what seemed an eternity.

"Hmm?"

"I'm here to listen whenever you're ready to talk." Sessho Maru looked over at her, startled. Rina forcefully met his gaze, her emerald eyes dark and determined.

"As am I," Sessho Maru blurted without thinking., completely shocking the hell out of himself. _**Who am I to make such a promise that I most likely won't even be able to keep?**_ he thought. _**I am a youkai lord and from the Feudal age. She is a human woman from the modern age. **_ Sessho Maru was ready to find something to beat himself over the head with.

Rina, as if she knew that Sessho Maru hadn't meant to say that at all, glanced at him sideways. "Somehow, I doubt that," she said dryly. She didn't care. She had a feeling that this strange male had a LOT more important things to do than to hear the tragedies and woes of a mere human.

She stood up again. "I've got to get going"

Sessho Maru eyed her as if contemplating tackling her again.

"Don't even think about it, Sessho Maru," she said, not looking back.

Instead of tackling her, he followed her. He didn't want to ask, but he was curious. "Where are you going? You have hours yet before you perform tonight."

She turned around to face him, a trace of annoyance on her face. "I'm going to another place that makes me feel better."

"Perhaps I'll join you," Sessho Maru said nonchalantly. "I could use a little cheering up myself."

Rina shot him a look of surprise before darkening into a scowl. She sighed. "Alright. But you better not make fun of me. Most everybody else thinks that I'm childish for going here for comfort."

"Where are we going?"

"The zoo. Animals make me feel better."

Sessho Maru stayed quiet._** What's a zoo?**_ he wondered. Still, it had something to do with animals, that he knew at least.

Finally, after a fairly long, silent walk, they reached the "zoo". She handed some money over to a man in a small booth and took 2 pieces of paper and walked in. Sessho Maru had been able to smell the animals a long way back and was surprised to find that there was a scent in there that he recognized. Not to say he'd never seen any of these animals before, but there were some unfamiliar ones that he couldn't identify. It was one of the unknown smells that he found familiar. It was the same scent that was on Rina. But it wasn't just on her. It was her. He frowned. **_What is she? She almost has a trace of youkai scent, but it's not a youkai that I know of._**

She walked on, not looking at him. Sessho Maru merely followed, waiting for her to break the silence. As they walked, he noticed the scent getting stronger. Before long she stopped at a habitat. The scent was strongest here. Sessho Maru looked in to see what animal dwelled. It was a cat type. He had wondered, but as he had only met with tigers once before, a long long time ago, it was no wonder that he couldn't recognize this animal straight off. These tigers weren't the kind that he was used to. Whereas the tigers that he'd seen once before had been orange with black stripes, these were white with black stripes. However, the one that she seemed to favor had no stripes at all. It was solid white and had piercing eyes of an unnerving sapphire blue.

"What are they?" he asked quietly?

Rina looked at him in surprise. "Haven't you ever seen tigers before?"

His expression remained blank. "Only once before. They looked different, though. These are sleek, but the ones that I saw were colored different and had a lot more fur."

She tried another tactic. "Haven't you ever been to a zoo before?"

Nothing. Absolutely nothing more than his clueless expression.

She gave up and looked back in to study the tigers that were lazily napping in the sun. She couldn't help but breathe in their scent, comfort seeping into her soul--a balm for the wounds that had been torn open afresh.

Sessho Maru watched as she reveled being in the presence of the cats. He could almost literally see the tension melting from her body and when she opened her eyes, the emerald orbs were clear again.

"I feel like I know them," she said softly. "I mean, I've known and seen them since they were little cubs and were first brought out to their habitat." As she spoke, one of the tigers got up and walked toward them, watching them intently--Rina especially. It was the pure white one with the blue eyes. "Two of them are siblings," Rina continued, returning the large cat's gaze, a soft expression on her face.

"I know," Sessho Maru said without thinking. He had been able to smell it on them. The white tiger that sat calmly, watching them, was a female and was the youngest. He pointed to the tiger that was lying in the shade. "That's her older sister. The one laying by that window is their mother, and the last one is foreign to their blood family circle."

Rina stared at him. Yet she wasn't surprised. She already knew that he wasn't human, it's just that she hadn't gotten up the nerve to ask him what he was. But she knew that he had senses every bit, if not more, as sharp than hers were. He could smell the differences. "Yeah," she said softly. "That's right."

Sessho Maru looked down at her at last. "You smell like them," he said bluntly. "It's not a smell that's _on_ you. It's a smell that _is_ you."

Rina looked away. So she hadn't been imagining things. She had always thought that she'd smelled like the tigers, but she had always told herself that it was just because she was always visiting them. She had just gotten her confirmation.

"What are you?" Sessho Maru asked quietly.

Rina gave a soft chuckle. "I should ask you the same question," she replied. "I have always had sharper senses than anyone else I knew. I never much paid attention to the scent of humans because there was nothing to pay attention to. But yesterday when you found me at the beach, I could smell you. You don't smell anything like a human."

"You hardly do," Sessho Maru replied, not denying what she had just spoken. "What happened when your parents died? How did they die?"

Rina shook her head. "I don't know. I don't remember, really. We used to live in another country called America. I thought that things were fine. Then one day they came home. I could tell that something was wrong. They had some friends living in Japan and, without telling me why, said that they were going to send me to Japan to live with their friends for a little while. They took me to the airport, tried to assure me that I was going to have a lot of fun, and I never saw them again after I left them to board the airplane. I was 8 years old when that happened. It was 2 years later that I got the news that they had died. I've been in Japan ever since." Rina took a shaky breath. "I've always loved this place. I've always felt better when I come here. Like the animals understand me. Especially the tigers." She looked fondly at the young pure white female that still sat there watching them. "She's my favorite. Her name is Teeah. She's such a curious little kid. She likes being in the center of attention and likes being part of whatever is going on."

The corners of Sessho Maru's mouth twitched slightly in begrudging amusement. "So you really have no idea what you are?" he asked quietly.

"Other than the fact that I'm not a normal human girl, I've not the foggiest idea," she affirmed. She looked over at him. "Did you like the show last night?" she asked, really needing to change the subject for the moment.

Sessho Maru shrugged. "I was disappointed when you and Kuri left the stage. I found the rest of the bands...not as entertaining."

A slight grin colored Rina's quiet face. That was enough for her to know. "Come on. I'll show you around," she said, walking off after saying goodbye to Teeah, who watched them leave her reproachfully, not liking that she was being left behind.

Rina showed him a number of animals--from the funny-looking kangaroos, to the large, powerful polor bears. They made a stop by the cheetah habitat that lasted for several minutes. Rina explained to him that they were her other favorites. She'd always loved cheetahs. Sessho Maru actually enjoyed himself--not that he would admit that to any living soul, of course. He was actually disappointed when Rina looked at her watch and announced that she needed to go get ready for the show. He followed her from the zoo and back to the beach. Yet he wasn't about to let another chasm of silence open.

"What happened to you, Rina?" he asked again, knowing that she would know what he was talking about.

Rina stiffened slightly. Sessho Maru was sure, by her scent, that she was going to refuse to tell him. And if she had, he would have let it drop. Yet, she surprised him yet again.

"I first started singing when I was 16," she began softly. "At first it was just because of a dare that Kuri gave me. She played guitar, just as she does now, and she was also vocals. Another friend of ours played the keyboards for the little show that we put on for the school talent show. To our surprise we actually won and Kuri suggested that we keep practicing and actually start a real band. Well, for our band we were going to have to have more members to bring more of the music. We started looking for people to play the drums and the bass for starters. We found the absolute perfect guy to play the drums. I mean--this guy was _good_. His name was David and he was a foreign exchange student from France." Rina paused for a moment to clear her throat, her emerald eyes clouding over.

Sessho Maru stiffened slightly and momentarily as she talked about David. He didn't like hearing in her voice how David had once been in her high regard, possibly even her affections. Good gods, was he actually jealous?

"He was a really nice guy and was well-liked by everybody. He was going to be in our school for the next 2 school years. He had first joined our band about a month after the talent show, which was about 3 months before that school year ended. Well, it was around this time that I was just beginning to notice my senses getting stronger, but not much. Maybe if they had this wouldn't have happened, but anyways..." She stopped and cleared her throat nervously again.

Sessho Maru began to get a sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew what was coming.

"We had a party for David the night before he would be flying back to France. His 2 years with us was finished and everyone was positively heartbroken that he was leaving us. Especially us, the band. We loved him as a drummer--we hadn't even found anyone who could replace him yet--but we were going to miss him as a friend too.

"So, the party went on for quite awhile and I finally left at about 2am. David followed me and said that he wanted to walk me home." Rina's voice was becoming more strained as the details continued to pour from her.

"I was surprised, but grateful that at least I wouldn't be alone. We were taking a short cut through a park when David asked me if I was going to miss him. Naturally, I said that I would. He stopped me and said that he was going to miss me too and he kissed me. It was nice at first. It was my first kiss ever. But then he began groping at my clothing. I--I tried to push him away and I told him that I wasn't ready for THAT yet.

"He got all pouty looking and said that he wanted something to remember me by and then tried to guilt trip me by accusing that I didn't care about him or his needs.

"I got very creeped out and told him that I could walk the rest of the way by myself and that I hoped he had a safe trip. I should have known better than to turn my back on him. He--he grabbed my arm and tripped my feet out from under me before I could even stop him and he--" Rina couldn't even bring herself to say it. The memory was replaying with sordid reality in her head. She could still feel the excruciating pain from him roughly ramming himself inside her, shredding her tender virginity without so much as a blink of regret. He had beaten her and knocked her unconscious and had raped her again when she had woken up. She had been knocked unconscious a second time but when she had awakened again she was alone and had only shreds of her clothing remaining to protect her modesty. And to her heartbroken realization, her clothes bore traces of the blood of her virginity.

Rina's hand involuntarily went to her cheek, almost able to feel the battered flesh.

"Was justice ever served?" Sessho Maru asked quietly, a hint of anger tainting his voice.

Rina shook her head. "I don't even know how to explain it. David got off scot-free. I still can't figure out what happened." She sighed. "I guess it doesn't matter now. I was 17 when that happened. It was 7 years ago. Right after it happened I started learning self defense. That combined with the fact that my senses were getting sharper and sharper and I've been able to take care of myself ever since."

They were almost back to the beach club. Rina felt exhausted and completely drained. This was the first time in years that she had ever talked about...that. Often times it felt like a nightmare that she had awakened from and she was normally able to live her life. But when things occurred like what happened earlier today on the beach she felt the same icy sensations of fear and anger and blinding hatred. She had learned how to mete out her emotions to where they fueled her blows to a head-spinning lightning-fast pound, but it had taken a lot of time.

She felt like she was getting a headache. But she grudgingly admitted to herself that Sessho Maru had been right in not letting her run away. But it had been hard unlocking those memories, let alone for a complete stranger.

She turned and faced Sessho Maru. "Look. Thank you for listening today and everything. You didn't have to do that."

Sessho Maru nodded, his expression neutral as always.

"I'd better go get ready for the show," she said softly, turning and disappearing inside the club's back door. It was all Sessho Maru could do to keep his hands to himself. He wanted to kiss her so badly. To soothe away the hurt and irrepairable damage that David had caused her.

Sessho Maru walked back to the beach to sit on the sand, trying to put out his earlier thoughts.. He'd had no idea just how bad things had been for her. She had kept it hidden well. His eyes turned red a little. Deep down he felt a swirl of anger settle heavily into his stomach. _**It's a good thing that this "David" creature is no longer here. I would kill him if I could find him!**_ Sessho Maru wasn't surprised anymore. He hadn't felt this protective of a human since Rin. Yes, he'd figured out that she was a cheetah youkai, but still. _**I wonder who killed her family?**_, he thought to himself. He knew that they'd been killed. The swift way that they'd packed their daughter to Japan suggested a desperation because their time was almost up and they knew it.

He thought of the human part of her scent. To him it was hardly noticeable. He had a feeling that it had been Rina's father that was the demon and her mother that was the human. His thoughts drifted over to the fact that tomorrow he had to return to his own time--even if it was just for awhile. Yet, as that thought crossed his mind, a new, startling thought joined it. _**She already knows that I am not human. I have not yet told her about me, but still. I wonder about telling her what I am and suggesting that she come with me. I could teach her more about her powers, more about what she is.**_ But as quickly as that thought came, Sessho Maru immediately dismissed it. At least the part about taking her back to Feudal Japan with him. There was just no way. But he would tell her about the fact that he was a youkai lord.

He looked up at the sun. Hmm. Nearly 7:30. The show would be starting in half an hour.


	5. Chapter 4: Healing

Sessho Maru was concerned. When Rina had gone inside the club to get ready for the show she had still been very stressed out and upset. She had been trying to replace the mask that had slipped, but he could still smell it on her. She had been forced to remember things that she had hoped would merely go away but still haunted her vividly.

Sessho Maru tried to pick up her scent amidst all the smells of cooking food, but it was difficult. Sessho Maru's amber eyes flashed with frustration. He was beginning to have second thoughts as to whether he should have asked her about her past. _**That's a stupid question**_, he thought to himself bitterly. _**It's already done. Nothing can take it back.**_ s_nff snff _ He tried to find her scent again. He could smell just the merest trace of it, but he couldn't breathe enough of it in for it to tell him anything useful. Basically it merely alerted him to the fact that she was in the building. Which he already knew. Duh. _**Tell me something I don't know, dammit**_, he thought irritably.

Suddenly he heard the familiar clatter of the band setting up. Any minute now. But Sessho Maru was quickly disappointed as he realized that it was a different band playing first. He thought he was going to go mad. Though there was no way in hell that he would ever admit it to anyone, he wanted to go back there and make sure that she was ok. To cradle her to his chest and soothe away the hurts, give her his strength. Three bands went by, each playing about 4 songs each. By the time that the third band finished, Sessho Maru's ears were flat against his head, declaring his frustration-borne foul mood. Even then, the fearsome look on his face was enough to erase any doubt. He was so wrapped up in wishing that the damn band would get off the stage so that he could finally see Rina that he didn't notice the scent that gently wafted in his direction, signifying that he was at last getting his wish.

The room went dark, but the music that started somehow made the darkness seem all the more thick and ominous.

_---Long lost words whisper slowly to me  
Still can't find what keeps me here  
When all this time I've been so hollow inside  
I know you're still there_

_Watching me!  
Wanting me!  
I can feel you pull me down!  
Fearing you.  
Loving you  
I won't let you pull me down!---_

Sessho Maru felt a slight chill as he looked into her eyes as she sang. The coldness, nay, lifelessness in her eyes was different than what he had seen last night. Pain poured freely from the emerald windows of her soul. Pain that stemmed from anger, hatred, and memories worse than the worst nightmare ever lived.

_---Hunting you, I can smell you alive!  
With your heart pounding in my head!_

_Watching me!  
Wanting me!  
I can feel you pull me down!  
Saving me!  
Raping me!  
Watching me!---_

Sessho Maru began to understand. She was using this song as a way of confronting the heinous crime that had been committed against her. She was acknowledging the pain and fighting it off.

The last part of the song began and though Rina was just vocalizing while the rest of the band sang the main vocals, it would have been easy to see these melodic cries as a shout of pain being released.

_---Watching me! (Aaaaaaaaaaaah!!)  
Wanting me! (Aaaaaaaaaaah!!! I can)  
I can feel you pull me down!  
Fearing you (Aaaaaaaaaaah!!)  
Loving you! (Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! I won't)  
I won't let you pull me down!---_

Sessho Maru noticed with relief that, as she sang, her scent began to change, the poisoning scent of anger and hatred leaving her, leaving behind the scent of the sea, lilacs, and the now-identified cheetah youkai that she didn't even really know she was.

A piano sounded out a haunting melody as the next song began. Sessho Maru would remember this song later as one of his absolute favorites, not to mention one that would stay with him forever.

When Rina had sung "Haunted", she sang as one who truly was. She was still haunted by the violent crime that had been committed against her 7 years ago. Yet the determination in the song helped calm her from her hatred. Now, as the next song started, she allowed herself to look at Sessho Maru. She was surprised at the relief that colored his features, though to anyone else he would still appear as stoic and emotionless as ever. But Rina could see. And she could smell it on him. He was worried about her. Oh, he would never admit it, of course, but his scent was a tattle tale. Her eyes hardly left his as she began.

_---How can you see into my eyes like open doors?  
Leading you down into my core, where I've become so numb.  
Without a soul!  
My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold!  
Until you find it there and lead. It. Back...Home._

_(Wake me up!) Wake me up inside!  
(I can't wake up!) Wake me up inside!  
(Save me!) Call my name and save me from the dark!  
(Wake me up!) Bid my blood to run!  
(I can't wake up!) Before I come undone!  
(Save me!) Save me from the nothing I've become---_

Sessho Maru couldn't help but lose himself in the powerful desperation of her voice. He couldn't take his eyes off her, especially when they had been so forcefully locked. It was if she were singing it just for him. A blush creeped up his neck at the thought. _**Oh gods. I never blush. **_And yet he had never before met a woman, or any female for that matter, human or demon, who affected him the way that Rina did. She touched a part of him that he had thought was long dead, and he had tried his damnedest to keep it that way. Yet like it or not, he knew that bit by little bit he was losing his heart to the fiery singing siren on the stage.

Rina seemed to be letting go more and more as she began moving with the song, her hips swaying out seductively, dancing, spinning. Oh gods, her hips. Her movements succeeded in putting yet more lecherous images and thoughts into his head. Oh gods, to feel her lush curves against him.

Then she looked at him again.

_---Now that I know what I'm without!  
You can't just leave me  
Breathe into me and make me real!  
Bring. Me. To life._

_(Wake me up!) Wake me up inside!  
(I can't wake up!) Wake me up inside!  
(Save me!) Call my name and save me from the dark  
(Wake me up!) Bid my blood to run!  
(I can't wake up!) Before I come undone!  
(Save me!) Save me from the nothing I've become!  
Bring me to life (I've been living a lie. There's nothing inside)  
Bring me to life---_

Sessho Maru didn't know what to think. He already knew that this song wasn't written by Rina, but rather from a band called Evanescence. Yet the songs of theirs that she had sung seemed to have her heart and soul in them. As if these songs explained the mysteries of her life--even the ones that she hadn't discovered yet. All he could do was watch as she shared these with him as if he were the only one in the room and the rest of the world didn't exist.

_Frozen inside without your touch,  
without your love, darling  
Only you are the life among the dead!_

_All of this time, I can't believe I couldn't see!  
Left in the dark, but you were there in front of me!_

_I've been sleeping a thousand years, it seems,  
Got to open my eyes to everything!_

_Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul  
Don't leave me to die here  
There must be something more  
Bring me to life!_

_(Wake me up!) Wake me up inside!  
(I can't wake up!) Wake me up inside!  
(Save me!) Call my name and save me from the dark  
(Wake me up!) Bid my blood to run!  
(I can't wake up!) Before I come undone!  
(Save me!) Save me from the nothing I've become!  
Bring me to life! (I've been living a lie! There's nothing inside!)  
Bring me to life---_

The stage faded into dark as the song faded back to the melodies of the piano. Music to a couple more songs started, but Sessho Maru barely heard as he contemplated "Bring Me To Life". The power and truth of it as it issued forth from Rina's voice had left him completely shell shocked. He watched her dumbfounded, listening with only half an ear but drinking in her scent, which was now completely free of pain and hatred.

_**Why? **_ he thought to himself. _**How is it that she has struck so deep? How could she have captured me so quickly and effortlessly, reaching past where everyone else stops?**_ He was now deeply troubled. He wasn't just troubled. He was downright frightened. It had intrigued him to know that she had suffered. Brutally suffered. And it had thrilled, even aroused, him to know and see that she had survived and now looked down her nose at any and all who would threaten her, as if it would be the last thing they would ever do. This feeling of dread only worsened when the haunting, mournful melodies issued forth from the piano where she sat, stroking music out of the ivory keys.

_---I'm so tired of being here  
Suppressed by all my childish fears  
And if you have to leave  
I wish that you would just leave  
'Cause your presence still lingers here  
And it won't leave me alone_

_These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I've held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have...all of me---_

The mournfulness of Rina's voice mixing with the words elicited memories that swept back with a raw, devastating force. Rin. Pain slashed harshly through Sessho Maru's heart as he fought to keep his features stoic but inside he was dying.

_---You used to captivate me  
By your resonating light  
But now I'm bound by the life you left behind---_

**She had seen through him. She had known that he was evil, and yet she had known that that wasn't who he really was. She had seen through his cold-hearted persona and had believed in him. She had seen what everyone else had been blind to. He remembered when she had found him so injured and had kept silently bringing food to him, despite his harsh words toward her. She had even brought injury upon herself by stealing food for him. The corners of Sessho Maru's mouth twitched slightly upward as he remembered the day that she had been beaten for his sake. She had still offered him a wide, happy grin, somewhat devoid of teeth, despite the pain that she was suffering.**

_---Your face, it haunts my once pleasant dreams  
Your voice, it chased away all the sanity in me---_

**The kidnappers had tried to confuse Sessho Maru's senses by splitting up, but he had tracked Rin's captor without a problem. However, he had failed to sense the trap that had resulted in his being surrounded by an angry army of villager men, one of whom held a knife to Rin's throat. Another villager held the Tenseiga. Before Sessho Maru's eyes the Tenseiga was shattered.**

**Sessho Maru turned his attention back to the man who was threateningly digging the tip of his knife into Rin's neck.**

**"Sessho!" she whimpered.**

**Sessho Maru's cold eyes glowered icily at the man. "You coward. She is not part of this. You have not the courage to face me so you succumb to your own cowardice to attack one of your own"**

**"Demon!" spat the man. "She may have been human once, but now there is no telling since she has been with you! For all we know she could be possessed and no longer human!"**

**"She is but a child," Sessho Maru's normally emotionless voice now ground out with a tinge of desperation. If Rin was killed he would be unable to help her now that the Tenseiga was destroyed.**

**"Shut up, demon!" shouted the villager. "You must pay for all the lives you have destroyed so callously!"**

**"Then by all means, try and make me pay, but do not put my debt on the shoulders of this girl. She is innocent and has done you no wrong."**

**Somehow Sessho Maru's quiet plea only angered the villagers more. The man raised the knife and...**

_---These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase---_

**Tenseiga. Destroyed. Sessho Maru's eyes closed again. Rin's killers had destroyed the Tenseiga. Somehow they had known of the Tenseiga's powers and knew that he would use it to bring Rin back if they killed her. They had taken away that hope.**

**"Rin," Sessho Maru whispered softly, unable to keep silent any longer. "I failed you." He knelt down and put his hands on the mostly- settled earth of Rin's grave. He hadn't been able to bring himself to burn her body. If it was at all possible that the Tenseiga could be restored, he wanted to be able to bring her back. His shoulders slumped. (What good would that do? She could still be hurt because of me.) The thought of Rin suffering because of him was a knife twisting in his youkai heart--the heart that used to feel nothing.**

**"Rest assured that it will not happen again."**

Sessho Maru's teeth ground together harshly. He looked back up at Rina through the images and memories that assaulted him. _**I nearly went back on my promise to Rin**_, he thought, his breath coming in silent yet ragged gasps. He had nearly let himself fall for a woman when he knew that if he did so, something would happen to her too.

_---When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I've held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have..._

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone  
But though you're still with me  
I've been alone all along!---_

Rina sniffed curiously in between lines and breaths. Her body was performing the song flawlessly, but her mind was elsewhere. It was trying to sort out the curious scents emanating from..._snfff, snffff_ _**Sessho Maru?**_ Suddenly it dawned on her. The scent coming from him was exactly like what she had reeked of not too long before: Pain. Grief. Torment. Mourning the loss of something or someone who could never be regained. She could hear whispers of breathing--so small that even her enhanced hearing could barely pick it up. He was gasping for breath the way that the wounded do when trying to recover from unspeakable pain. Rina's heart broke. _**So much pain**_, she thought dizzily. She longed to leave the stage and just take him into her arms. To shelter him from the agony and grief. To let him find solace in her embrace.

_---When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I've held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have all of me---_

Thunderous applause shook the room, but Rina didn't hear it. She was on her feet looking for Sessho Maru, who was no longer there. He had left behind only the scent that betrayed his pain. And even that was fading.

--------------------

Sessho Maru ran with a blinding speed across town toward Higurashi Shrine. He could tell himself all he wanted that he was merely rushing back to meet the three day deadline imposed by Inu Yasha, but Sessho Maru knew better. He was running, and he knew it. And he hated himself for it. Sessho Maru had faced countless enemies with nothing more than his usual cold air before destroying them without a thought. Naraku had been harder to deal with but he and Inu Yasha and his friends had come out victorious nevertheless. Naruaku had been so powerful that he could have destroyed all life on earth with the power of the Shikon No Tama. Yet Sessho Maru had never once showed or felt any fear toward the insolent half-breed.

_**Yet now it comes out and I am a coward**_, he thought bitterly. He longed---no, ACHED, to go back to her. But it was too late.

He allowed himself to look back briefly in the direction of the beach before launching himself into the well. He would never come back. Nor would he ever see Rina again. _**It's better this way**_, he thought to himself as his feet came into contact with the floor of the well. Suddenly a stench hit his nostrils. His eyes narrowed. Launching out, he found an agitated Inu Yasha and Kagome.

"It's about damn time!" Inu Yasha barked, elliciting a cold, indifferent glance from Sessho Maru.

"What's happened?"

Kagome gave him a helpless look. "A demon attacked us here a few hours ago and he managed to get the Jewel from us, but he was accidentally knocked into the well. We haven't been able to go after him"

Sessho Maru sniffed the air. "Hmmm. I know these demons. They're slave traders. They make their living off of selling human slaves to high-up youkai nobles. They tried to take Rin from me once." At the mention of Rin's name, Sessho Maru's face darkened. Suddenly he was distracted by Inu Yasha sniffing him closesly.

Inu Yasha looked darkly up at his brother. "Aniki. You had better get back there now. They're going to have smelled her on you. If you value this woman's life as I suspect you actually do, you'll find her before they do."

Sessho Maru fought to keep the blush from creeping up his neck Yet he knew Inu Yasha was right. Sessho Maru had given the slavers a good, sound trouncing after their attempt to kidnap Rin. One of the slavers he had actually killed. His brother was one of the two that had gotten through the well. It was common sense that he would go after anyone that Sessho Maru considered dear.

Sessho Maru whirled and, without a word, lunged into the well. Upon emerging from the well on the other side he knew immediately that something was wrong.

A yell of surprise and anger in the distance caught Sessho Maru's ear, causing it to twitch. He would know that voice anywhere.

Rina!


	6. Chapter 5: Slavery

Rina was practically fuming with confusion and worry. What in all the hells had made Sessho Maru run off like that? Worse, what had caused such intense pain and grief to emanate from him? Rina was lost in her thoughts as she mechanically received the applause and cheers from the audience before vacating the stage to relinquish it to the next performing band. Then she practically ran back to the dressing room to change out of her stage outfit and back into her normal clothes.

_**I have to find Sessho Maru. I have to find out what was wrong**_, she thought determinedly. _**I need to know that he's ok.**_

Her thoughts were interrupted by Kuri, who decided right then to come breezing into the room, babbling about the awesome reactions and responses of the audience and about the club that she wanted to take Rina to. To Kuri's credit, she is a very perceptive person, and that came in handy as she realized that she wasn't eliciting any response from her friend.

"Rina," she begged. "Will you _please_ take a vacation from your mansion in the clouds where your head is constantly at?"

Rina snapped to attention. "I'm sorry, Kuri," she said hurriedly. "I have something I need to do, ok? I'll be back later." Then, before Kuri could even blink, Rina charged out of the room and raced out of the back of the club. It didn't take long to find Sessho Maru's scent, but it something about it shocked her. It told her of the speed at which he had run on foot and, though she was beginning to get used to the fact that he just wasn't human, this still surprised her.

She ran as fast as she could possibly make her feet go, constantly sniffing the air to make sure that she was still following the right scent. She noticed that she was headed in the direction of Higurashi Shrine. She hiked a brow. Why didn't it shock her that that was his apparent destination?

Suddenly the breeze changed and the scent that it carried caused her to screech to a swift halt. _snff SNFF _ _**What the--? **__SNFF SNFF _The air was suddenly rife with malice. The scent was foreboding and reeked of something evil and completely vile. It was, in a very small way, somewhat similar to Sessho Maru's, and yet she couldn't imagine this scent being any more different from Sessho Maru than it already was.

The gentle night breeze hailed forth the message that the bearers of this scent were coming closer. They were coming right at her! Some unknown instinct deep inside Rina caused her heart to squeeze in alarm and it bade her to turn around and run as fast as she possibly could.

However, her muscles didn't immediately comply due to the shock and confusion that clouded her mind. _**RUN IDIOT!!!**_ The mental message woke up her frozen mind and she whirled around and fled. Images of Teeah and the rest of her tiger family flashed through her mind and caused Rina to remember that, somehow, she was like them. They were the strongest and biggest cats in the world. _**Please**_, she prayed silently to the mental image of Teeah and her family as she begged her feet to carry her faster. _**Please give me your strength.**_ Her eyes flashed open and she nearly gasped at the speed at which she was travelling. She was in the park but she was still in sight of the road. She knew that road. The speed limit of the road was 50 and she was easily passing them as if they were merely doing a measly 5! _**DON'T THINK, BAKA!**_ her instincts screamed at her in fury. _**IF YOU DO YOU WILL FALL!**_ Rina's mind shut down as she gave herself to the breath-stealing speed at which she traveled. Yet it wasn't enough.

WHUMP! She found herself falling, hitting the ground at a speed that was like a person jumping from a car that was moving at 60 miles per hour. The pain that shot through her from the crushing speed caused her to holler in pain and surprise as well as anger. The hunters had caught up to her and they had hit her. When her tumbling body finally stopped its crash course, she could only stare up at her captors in stunned shock-- unable to move.

There were two of them. Two of the ugliest creatures that she had ever seen. The first one, for starters, had three eyes. He looked like a way overgrown alligator with humanoid arms and legs. He had to be at least 9 or 10 feet tall. Long, horrific claws stemmed from the tips of his fingers and he had fangs that looked like they had been taken from a sabertooth tiger and planted in his mouth. Rina hiked an eyebrow at the old-fashioned samurai armor that he wore.

The second must have been the first one's brother, for he looked very similar--right down to the samurai clothing. The only difference was that he was about a foot and a half smaller than the first and his three eyes were a different color.

The first one grabbed her roughly by the hair, yanking Rina's already spinning head up towards his snout. Rina was already close to falling into the welcoming arms of unconsciousness, but when she got a whiff of the creature's breath, it nearly did her completely in. To put it completely and fully, he reeked of death, decay and cruelty. He whuffed in a few breaths of her.

"I thought I smelled that filthy demon on you," he snarled in Rina's face.

_**Demon?**_ she wondered dizzily. _**What the hell is he talking about?**_

"That bastard Sessho Maru should have known better than to screw with us the first time," leered the second.

This was too much for Rina's mind to take. _**Sessho Maru? A demon?**_ It made sense, she supposed, but she was still grateful when blissful oblivion took her into its comforting arms and gave her rest from her torment.

--------------------

Sessho Maru ran with as much speed that his youkai blood could give him. The sound of Rina's scream rang hollowly and endlessly in his ears. He had to hurry. He _had_ to reach her! He had to stop Biru and Misu! They, along with the brother that Sessho Maru had slain, had tried to kidnap Rin once and they had nearly succeeded. The two brothers were very agile for their large size despite their clumsy looks. Sessho Maru could hardly keep back a shudder of shame as he remembered his arrogance in underestimating them. That mistake had nearly cost him Rin. The two brothers were demons of a lizard form. They were very swift and deadly and their enormous fangs possessed a venom that could even fell Sessho Maru. Sessho Maru eyed his claws where his own venom swirled, ready for a fight. He had tried to use it on the brothers before but they reacted to it as if it were merely a mosquito pestering about their ears.

Sessho Maru had still managed to defeat them. He had even humiliated them horribly in their defeat. He had left the wounded youkai and had gone to where they kept the slaves that they had kidnapped and freed them all, all in the sight of the three brothers, who were too wounded to do anything but shout curses of the most vile kind. That didn't stop the angry slaves from spitting on their tormentors before running off to find the rest of their freedom as well as the families they had been ripped away from. Then the eldest brother had died of the wounds that Sessho Maru had inflicted. That had been the last straw for the last two brothers, as evidenced by the way their disgusting scents mixed with Rina's.

Sessho Maru's lip curled at the revolting scent of them. He was even disgusted at himself for not realizing that they would try to get revenge on him. Yet, how was he supposed to know they would have found a way to come into the modern era? He had a feeling that they had been after the Shikon No Tama for this very reason. It wasn't really a secret anymore back in the Feudal Era that the well was a portal to the future.

His feet carried him into a park. He knew he was close. Yet he couldn't see them! Suddenly he stopped. His eye twitched with frustration and confusion. This was where all three scents stopped. He gritted his teeth as he sniffed determinedly to find them. He tried not to look at the area of the ground that was the churned up evidense of a struggle. He could see where Rina had plowed into the ground. He knew that she had managed to get herself to astounding speed, somehow tapping into her youkai powers, yet they had backfired on her as she had been knocked harshly into the ground. It was where she had lain that was the last of the scents.

Suddenly the breeze changed, as if the very weather was determined that Sessho Maru would find the slaver youkai despite their deceptions. His head snapped around as their scent, along with Rina's, reached his sensitive nostrils. His amber eyes became tainted with a red hue as his full demon nature began to take over. His fangs lengthened, displaying the sharp point of his fast-growing rage. His claws lengthened and became razor sharp--poised to release the venom that swirled eagerly, as if impatiently awaiting the chance to silence a beating heart.

The scent came from the air. Sessho Maru's eyes became completely red as his feet carried him to blurring speeds. The scent was coming from the direction of the shrine. They were headed back to the well! Sessho Maru snarled. It didn't matter. Inu Yasha and Kagome were waiting on the other side of the well to take back the Shikon No Tama chunk. And even if they failed in defeating the lizard youkai, he, Sessho Maru, would succeed.

He didn't know why or how this woman had become so important to him, especially in such a short space of time, but now was not the time to try and figure it out. All he knew was that the mere thought of her silken flesh carrying the slightest taint of a bruise was enough to drive him mad, and that was enough reason for him.

He was almost to the shrine. He knew that they were just about to leap into the well. Rina's scent proclaimed her to be unconscious. He could smell her blood, of which his eyes now completely matched the color. They had hurt her and by gods they would pay dearly. Their humiliation from their last encounter with the inuyoukai would be nothing compared to what Sessho Maru would do to them now.

Sessho Maru practically flew up the steps to the shrine and into a straight dive into the well. He barely even waited for his feet to touch the ground before launching out of the well. The sight that greeted his eyes made even his normally cold youkai heart turn a sick flop. Inu Yasha and Kagome were both unconscious. Inu Yasha had huge fang marks in his neck. Sessho Maru could smell the venom that had been chugged into his younger half brother. He looked up in the direction that the already-fading scent of Rina and the youkai brothers were headed. He so badly wanted to go after them. Yet he knew that, despite the fact that he and Inu Yasha had only begun to see eye-to-eye and get along, he needed to help his injured brother and his human mate. He breathed a silent huff of frustration before bending and gently picking up Kagome. He would take her to the village to recover. But he would have to bring the old woman, Kaede, to Inu Yasha. To move him would spread the venom faster and he would be dead before he could get two steps.

Inu Yasha moaned as fever began to take his hanyou body. His eyes opened, the normally molten gold orbs now completely drained of color. "Kagome," he moaned weakly when he saw Sessho Maru pick her up and begin walking away.

Sessho Maru turned to his brother, his eyes back to their normal amber, his face back to its normal mask. "I'm taking her to the old woman and then I will bring the old woman here to tend to you. If we move you it will spread the venom faster. I assure you, no harm will come to your mate."

Inu Yasha relaxed, though it hardly looked it. He lay back, screwing his colorless eyes closed in an expression of agony as the venom began to take its deadly effect. His body became bathed with sweat, causing the flesh overlying the toned and taut muscles to become clammy and a sickly grayish color..

Sessho Maru flew to the village, cradling the still-unconscious Kagome in his arms as if she were a precious jewel. Aside from Rina, Kagome was the only other human that had really earned his respect. He gazed down at her. She had always been a fighter. She had come through so much with more determination than children at that age normally had. She had even faced him before unflinchingly, just daring him to try and hurt Inu Yasha. In turn, she had made Inu Yasha a lot stronger. It was as if she were his power source.

Inu Yasha had gained Sessho Maru's respect as well. Therefore, Sessho Maru would allow nothing to happen to his brother's mate, even though she was a human. Besides, her scent bore something that foretold a wonderful ocurrence, though it wasn't showing yet. She was a couple weeks along in carrying his brother's pup. Sessho Maru's arms tightened around her as if by that action he could hold the unborn pup itself in his fiercely protective arms.

He barged into Kaede's hut without even bothering to knock. The old woman looked up, not even a flicker of surprise on her face despite the fact that she had not seen Sessho Maru in years.

"Ye be Inu Yasha's brother sure enough," she sighed. She was already calmly taking the unconscious Kagome out of Sessho Maru's arms as he explained what had happened. She tended to Kagome and made sure that she was uninjured, taking special care when Sessho Maru alerted the old miko to Kagome's pregnant condition. Then she gathered up herbs and tools and promptly, from much practice with Inu Yasha, climbed onto Sessho Maru's back, who promply took off in the direction of the well.

Upon reaching Inu Yasha, Kaede ordered Sessho Maru to make a fire for her to see by. Sessho Maru didn't even argue. Kaede examined Inu Yasha, trying to decide the best way to draw out the poison that they could. But with the time that had elapsed a lot of it had already gotten into his blood stream. Over the next few hours Kaede did everything for Inu Yasha that she could before finally settling back, her tired back resting agaisnt the God Tree.

"Ye best get some sleep, Sessho Maru. Rest as much as ye can, for it is going to be a long night. I have done all that I can. It is now up to Inu Yasha to survive." With that, she closed her eyes and fell into a restful meditative state.

Sessho Maru watched as his brother unconsciously writhed in agony. He changed the cold cloth on the hanyou's forehead, determined that his younger brother would have every aid in survival--even if it was human aid.

"Inu Yasha," he spoke quietly "I know that, in the past, we have had many differences and had often tried to kill each other, each nearly succeeding in the endeavor. But, my brother, now you need to live. I once wanted nothing more than your demise, but now I wish only for your life. Your mate carries your pup, brother. You are going to be a father and therefore you must not take the path of death. Your pup will need its father and its mother needs her mate. And I--" Sessho Maru stopped, at a loss at what to say next. He knew what needed to be said, but he felt as though he lacked the courage to say it. "And I need you too, my brother. I need you to help me get Rina back. I know not why she has become so important to me. All I know is that she is. And I cannot defeat these youkai on my own. I need you to help me defeat them." Sessho Maru stopped. There was nothing more to say. At last, grudgingly satisfied that he had done all he could for his hanyou half brother, Sessho Maru fell asleep, praying to all the gods he knew that Rina would hang on and survive until he could reach her.

--------------------

Rina awoke at last to a massive headache. Among other things. She had been bound with her hands behind her back in an awkward position that. when she tried to sit up pain shot up her spine in protest at the unnatural position that she had been unconscious for several hours. Suddenly she was sniffing the air. _**What the--?**_ She could still smell the sea and a few other familiar things, but the stench of the city wasn't there. _**Where am I?**_ She felt like screaming with frustration at the thick ropes that held her wrists captive. They had been tied very tight and her wrists felt raw from the scrapes of the ragged ties.

"Ah. So at last the wench awakens." The voice made Rina look up. Her teeth clenched as she was determined not to show fear. It was the older of the lizard demons that had kidnapped her. "Have a nice beauty sleep?" he sneered down at her.

"Who are you?" she spat at him.

"Ah. Forgive my rudeness," he said with taunting formality. "My name is Biru. I am a demon." He hauled her to her feet by grasping the ropes binding her wrists. Rina's mouth opened in a silent cry of pain, but she refused to give the cry voice. Getting her feet under her, she stood to her full height and glared boldly and angrily up at the youkai, who still towered several feet over her.

"Why?" she ground out through clenched teeth. "Why did you kidnap me?"

"That's the business that I'm in," he sneered at her. "I'm a slave trader. I take worthy humans and sell them to youkai nobles. But you were special. Not only are you worthy, for I detect strength beyond your humanity, but you also have the smell of someone that I have hated for a long time."

"Sessho Maru?" Rina questioned, remembering the things that they had said before she had fallen unconscious.

Biru nodded, a cruel glint in his eyes. "Aye, lass. So, do not take your captivity personally. You were and are merely a pawn in getting revenge against that arrogant youkai."

Rina snorted. "It takes one to know one, now doesn't it?" Suddenly she was seeing stars as Biru's massive fist backhanded her across the face, slamming her off her feet.

"_Tsk tsk_. Now that is not the way that slaves behave," he snarled, towering over her menacingly. "You had better learn some manners, girl, for I intend to sell you to the most cruel youkai lord that I know of."

"Fuck you," Rina retorted from the ground, her head whirling dizzily. That earned her a harsh kick in the stomach. Tears fell from her eyes as she gasped for air, desperately trying to fill her lungs. Finally blessed air seeped in and she coughed hard. She was getting angrier by the second, yet she didn't get to do anything with her rage, for Biru cuffed her harshly on the head, rendering her unconscious once more.

When next Rina awoke she was hanging by her wrists from a rafter in what appeared to be a shabby barn. She could hear Biru talking with someone. She felt her feet brush against the floor and she settled as much of her weight as she could onto her feet to take the pressure off her wrists. Oh gods, her arms and shoulders ached.

She looked up and saw the other demon, whom Biru called Misu, standing next to her, watching his older brother converse with this new youkai. This one appeared to be a normal man, but Rina knew better. She could see the pointed ears and she could smell the youkai in him. The animal that she smelled in him was that of a bear. Then he turned at looked at her. The cruetly and malice in his eyes made Rina cringe. Something told her that he was even more cruel than her captors. She also had a feeling that this was the cruel youkai lord that Biru had told her of. This was her new "master". She gritted her teeth as she glared at the youkai. _**I will not be his slave willingly**_, she thought determinedly.

Biru walked over to her. He held up a threatening fist. "Show some respect for your new master, wench. This is Lord Hinkotsu."

Rina glared at Biru, but said nothing.

"Cut her down," Hinkotsu ordered. Misu complied.

The sudden pressure of her weight on Rina's legs caused her to collapse. A clawed hand grasped her chin and forced her to look up.

Hinkotsu studied her with a hard look before turning to Biru. "Have her cleaned up. I shall return for her this evening. Have her educated, but do her no harm." With that, the bear demon turned and left.

Rina didn't say a word to anyone as she was taken and cleaned up and "educated". She was taught how to be a slave--mostly just reining in her defiant nature. But the methods of "educating" her went completely against Hinkotsu's orders to not harm her.

Misu, being that he was still a fairly young youkai, full of rebellion and of the mind that he could do what he wished and go unscathed, took Rina to a room and began to beat her. Rina's hands were bound behind her back so that she could not defend herself, but she still had a mouth on her.

When Misu landed the first blow, it came without warning. Rina's unearthly emerald eyes watched him, seething with defiance and a spirit that dared someone to try and break her. This angered Misu. He didn't think that humans should be capable of such spirit and rebellion. He didn't like it. He didn't like feeling not in control. Especially of a lowly human. He didn't care if his brother could smell something on her that was of demon blood. She was still a pathetic human. How dare she exert any defiance against them? His massive fists shook. Rina glared at him unblinking. Her blazing green eyes screamed unspoken insults.

SLAP!! Rina's neck cracked with the force of the blow and she fell to the ground. She didn't make a sound. She looked back up at him, her eyes blazing green fire. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" she barked without thought, getting to her feet in an unbalanced manner. She wasn't on her feet for long, however, for Misu struck her again. This time when she looked at him, blood pouring from her nose, she had a smile. "Lord Hinkotsu said not to harm me. He may be a cruel master, but I can't wait to see him roast your ass for this."

"You bitch!" Misu howled. He advanced toward her. "You dare defy me?! You're nothing but a pathetic human! I don't care what my brother says! You are nothing but a piece of worthless trash! You have no right! You are cattle!"

Rina leapt back to her feet, pain and rage in her eyes. "You are the one who's trash! And it's not even because you are a demon! For if Sessho Maru is a demon as you say, he has already proven to me that demons are not all heartless bastards!" SLAP! Blood leaked from a cut on her lip. "You are the one who's trash, Misu! You are the one who has no right! You and your pathetic brother had no right kidnapping me! You have no right keeping me prisoner in whatever screwed up world you've brought me to!" Rina's voice was ringing in a shrill shriek and she lost all control and sense of thought as she yelled her lungs out at the enraged lizard youkai.

"Shut up!" Misu screamed at her and, without thinking, he began to hit her and didn't stop until after Rina was in a bloody, unconscious heap on the floor. After his rage settled he cleaned her up, bathing all the blood off of her. He began to turn his attentions on the cuts and bruises, but he was shocked to find that they were already healed. His eyes narrowed. He started to sniff her. He didn't normally pay much attention to his youkai senses--stupidly enough--but he was using them now. And he could smell what his brother had been talking about. She was human, but that scent was almost completely overpowered by the scent of some kind of demon that he couldn't recognize. He sniffed her again. She actually smelled good--what of her scent he could catch beneath her anger. She smelled of lilacs and the ocean. He sneered cruelly at Rina's unconscious form.

"Feh. Too bad that you've already been sold, wench. I woulda liked to have you all to myself for a spell."

He called on a couple of other female slaves to get Rina dressed and ready, then he left. Rina awoke to the sensations on her scalp of skillful fingers working with her hair. Despite the fact that her body had already mostly healed from Misu's beating, she still ached. She waited until they were finished with her hair before moving. She was handed a looking glass for her to view the work done. The style was very simple and it matched the two female slaves who had been tending to her. Rina's heart dropped with realization. She understood. It was the common hairstyle of female slaves. Despair began to creep in. She was about to be sold into slavery in a strange, primitive era that she hadn't been able to identify. Hell. She didn't even know how she had been brought here or how to get back. For the first time in her life Rina was truly afraid.

A scent reached her nostrils and Rina looked up. Biru.

"Come, slave," he spoke haughtily. "Your master awaits."

_**My name, asshole, is Rina**_, she thought defiantly, keeping her mouth shut in silent rebellion. She held her head high and kept her eyes staring straight ahead, her orbs burning emerald ice.

Suddenly Biru turned and grabbed her arm tightly in his massive clawed hand. "Mention to Lord Hinkotsu one word about Misu's disobedience-- " he let the threat hang.

"And you'll do what? Beat me?" Rina retorted, a sneer coloring her face. She didn't flinch nor look away when the demon lizard raised a massive fist. She watched him unblinking, waiting for him to strike her. However, Biru merely released her arm and marched out in front of her. Rina followed silently, mentally cursing him in all 3 of the languages that she knew.

She followed Biru outside and back toward the barn. Hinkotsu was waiting with Misu and a few of his own slaves. She noticed that Hinkotsu was studying Misu, a dark look coloring his features. Then Hinkotsu turned to study Rina, his nostrils twitching ever so slightly. Rina refused to look him in the eyes. A clawed hand grasped her chin like before, forcing her to look up. Hinkotsu's ice cold gaze sudied her eyes intently, his nose still working, taking in her scent.

At last he spoke. "Biru, may I ask you the favor of refreshing my memory?"

Biru's eyes squinted with confusion. "Y-yes, my lord."

Hinkotsu removed his gaze from Rina and affixed it on the elder lizard youkai. "Did I or did I not demand that this slave be unharmed?"

If it were possible for Biru's scaly face to pale, it would have been white as a sheet. Hinkotsu took the fear in Biru and Misu's eyes as his answer.

"So then, Biru, why does your brother reek with the stench of her blood and why do I smell injuries on her that her youkai blood is still working to heal?"

Rina blanched at the same time as the youkai brothers. _**Youkai?! I have youkai blood?! I'm a friggin' DEMON?!**_ She fought to keep her face stoic. She pictured Sessho Maru's expresionless face in her mind and fought to imitate it.

Biru and Misu, however, were not so successful. Their fear of Hinkotsu intimidated them to betray their horror at being caught. Misu, however, being young, foolish, and completely stupid with fear, tried to lie.

"M-my lord," he pleaded. "I did sno such thing! Her present injuries are the result of when we first captured her!"

Hinkotsu looked completely insulted. "You dare lie to me, you pathetic filth?" his eyes began to darken to a deadly crimson hue. "First you directly disobey my explicit order not to harm her, which I already know that you beat her severely, and then you insult my intelligence by lying to me." Hinkotsu did not yell or rage. His quiet snarl was much worse. Misu cringed down with terror, but Hinkotsu was not finished. He turned to Rina.

"You, girl. Come here," he ordered. Rina obeyed, holding her head up defiantly. "Did he or did he not do you harm?"

Rina eyed Misu and Biru, her emerald eyes blazing with hatred. "Yes," she answered simply, despite Biru's warning glare. "He did."

What happened next happened so fast that it was a blur in Rina's memory. Biru lunged at Rina, roaring with fury. Hinkotsu transformed fully into his demon bear form—a massive hulking creature that stood at a towering 20 feet like a freakishly oversized grizzly. His massive paws were as big around as manhole covers, and they were grasping Biru around the neck, the gurkha dagger claws digging deep into Biru's throat. The lizard youkai choked up blood.

"You have disobeyed me for the last time," Hinkotsu snarled, twisting Biru's neck until the youkai was practically decapitated. Misu lunged at Hinkotsu, his fangs bared and ready to unleash their potent venom. The foolish lizard didn't even stand a chance. The massive bear youkai slashed at Misu's chest, almost cutting him in half.

Rina watched the slaughter trying to keep her face in a neutral expression, but inside she was quaking with terror. Afraid and horrified and fascinated and disgusted. She had never witnessed such carnage first hand. She managed not to flinch as she witnessed her captors' deaths. But she made herself numb to her fear. She wasn't sorry that they died.

She watched Hinkotsu return to normal. No one had to tell her that he hadn't done what he did out of concern for her. In fact he could care less. No. In fact, her torment was only just beginning.


	7. Chapter 6: Creature On The Auction Block

_6 Months Later_

Sessho Maru was almost out of ideas. He was close to giving up.

After Inu Yasha had recovered from his injuries they had started by tracking down Biru and Misu. However that had turned up a dead end (literally) when they found Biru and Misu brutally slain and their buildings burned to the ground. Whoever had killed them had had the capability of disguising his/her scent. Luckily whoever had killed the youkai brothers, for some reason unbeknownst to the group, had not taken the Shikon Jewel, which Kagome promptly hung about her neck where it belonged.

Sessho Maru had tried to track the faint scent that Rina left, but that had faded away completely due to rains that had occurred recently. Inu Yasha had been shocked at Sessho Maru's reaction when they lost every trace of Rina's scent. Sessho Maru's teeth bared in a snarl of hopelessness and he had thrown his head back and roared out a howl that was nothing short of heartbroken before falling to his knees in the mud.

The little imp, Jaken, had actually gone cringing behind Miroku. Kagome, Sango, and Shippo could only watch as Sessho Maru vented his anger and frustration until he was completely spent. Inu Yasha was the only one that Sessho Maru would allow near him. Inu Yasha had sat quietly quietly next to Sessho Maru, completely unnerved at the sight of his normally calm, stoic older half brother completly losing it. But he did not allow himself to show his alarm in any way. Finally the red-eyed Sessho Maru collapsed and his eyes turned back to their normal amber. Inu Yasha didn't move a muscle. It was hours before Sessho Maru broke the silence.

"It's all my fault," he said softly.

Inu Yasha watched his brother quietly, completely at a loss. He didn't really know that Sessho Maru was capable of caring for a human so much. Yes, he had cared for Rin, but this was a full grown woman. He knew that Sessho Maru was still trying to work out why this woman had come to be so important to him. He knew that Sessho Maru was so used to hating humans that actually caring for one was completely new and unfamiliar to him. Yet he knew that this woman had captured his brother's heart forever, even just over the span of the few short days that Sessho Maru had known her.

Finally he spoke. "Sessho Maru, you can't give up. You are this woman's only chance. And we'll help you find her. We'll do whatever it takes."

Now, 6 months later, those words rang in Sessho Maru's ears. _**Whatever it takes**_. They had done whatever it took. They had done everything they could, but it still wasn't enough, for Rina had vanished without a trace. And they were having to stop more and more often for Kagome's sake. 6 months into her pregnancy, she was still pretty tough, but the long days of searching were beginning to take their toll. But she never once really complained. Sessho Maru's respect for his younger brother's mate had only deepened in the past months. She never really let herself show her exhaustion--she just kept trooping along. But she was getting tired, even if she refused to admit it. Inu Yasha often insisted that she ride on his back. Now her pregnancy was showing enough to where she was having to borrow clothes from women back at the village as well as having to get maternity clothes from her era.

Sessho Maru had long since given up trying to get Kagome and Inu Yasha to give up the search and let Kagome rest. Both had always adamantly refused, Kagome especially. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo had all faithfully kept on with the search, often covering more ground on Sango's fire cat, Kirara, and then reporting back with their finds--or, rather, the lack thereof. Spirits were sagging and hopes were fading.

One dreary night in October, Sessho Maru was sitting out under the stars, trying for the billionth time to understand why he cared so much about Rina.

"Sessho-sama?" Kagome's gentle voice reached his youkai ears.

He didn't look up. "I'm never going to find her, am I?" he said softly. "We have searched everywhere. Why am I unable to find her?"

Kagome listened quietly. "I don't have any answers, Sessho. All I can say is to not give up. Something's bound to give. You're too determined for it not to." Having said this, she went back to sleep beside her mate.

The next morning the group was drawing near a village. Sessho Maru drew in a breath with the intent of giving a huff of frustration. But suddenly it was as if he had completely shut down, his face frozen and his eyes widened with shock. Everyone stoppped and stared at him. Jaken was the first to speak.

"Master?" he asked.

That seemed to reanimate Sessho Maru as he was suddenly sniffing frantically. Lilacs, ever so faintly. The ocean, he could only just smell it. And the most importantly defining scent of all: the tiger. He whuffed in the scent again. His amber orbs sharpened as he frowned. Something was wrong. He could smell her blood. It smelled old and dirty--like it was caked on her and neglected. He could smell something else. Something that was like a kick in the gut. She was broken. Her unbeatable spirit had been broken. She was alive and yet lifeless. Sessho Maru's eyes reddened with rage. Rina had been harmed, tormented so severely that she had given up. Her torturer would pay dearly. Sessho Maru would rip the bastard limb from limb.

Without a word he flew in the direction of Rina's scent. It was in the village sure enough. Sessho Maru landed in the square, trying to gather his thoughts. In the middle of the square was a slave fair where slaves were being bartered over and sold like cattle. An auction was happening elsewhere in the square. He was vaguely aware of Inu Yasha coming up behind him and the scents of the others rushing to catch up. But it was the scent of Rina that he was focused on.

_**Where is she?!**_ he fretted.

"Next, slave number 214! This girl is mute but she's a fine, strong worker! Let's start this red head off at--"

Sessho Maru's head snapped around when he heard "red head". His reddened eyes went back to amber in shock at the sight of the pathetic creature that stood shackled on the platform. The girl was skin and bones, welts and bruises. Her long auburn hair fell to her backside in a matted clump. Her clothes were soiled, stiff with dirt, sweat, and dried blood. Her green eyes, once flaming emerald fire, were now dull and practically lifeless. Sessho Maru stared in horror.

"Is that her?" Inu Yasha's quiet voice snapped Sessho Maru out of his dazed shock.

He nodded. The sounds of different people placing their bids on Rina. Sessho Maru's eyes narrowed. Rina would be leaving with no one but him. There was no way in hell he would lose her again. Not when he'd searched for her for such a long time. He raised his hand and barked out a bid that he knew no one would be able to top. The auctioneer stopped and stared at him as did everyone else in the crowd. A nervous murmer rippled through the crowd at the presence of the youkai lord.

Finally the auctioneer snapped out of it. "SOLD to Lord Sessho Maru!" he barked.

Sessho Maru and Inu Yasha were already making their way over to Rina and the man who would take the payment. Sesho Maru carelessly presed the money into the man's hand. It was all he could do to maintain control and keep from taking her in his arms right there. Instead he raised a clawed hand to Rina's cheek gently. She didn't look at him. He noticed, with concern, that he never once saw her nose twitch in any attempt to try and catch his scent. It was like she was there in body, but she herself was completely empty. He gently took in her scent and his hand moved to her forehead. It was burning with fever. He could smell it on her. She was very, very sick. She was practically having to exert major effort just to remain standing. That was practically confirming his suspicion.

"We need to get her to Lady Kaede," Sessho Maru said plainly.

Inu Yasha nodded. "Yeah. And fast. She's had this fever for a long time. Her demon blood has stopped fighting it. It's like it gave up when she did." Inu Yasha had just voiced Sessho Maru's every suspicion and fear where Rina and her present condition were concerned.

Sessho Maru responded by taking Rina into his arms and picking her up bridal style. Rina was a dead, weary, limp weight in his arms. Yet she was still very slight and unnaturally light. Sessho Maru fought down a lick of fear.

_**Rina will be fine now. No more harm can come to her now that I have found her once again.**_ He looked down into her dull eyes. His heart wrung in a strange sensation that he had never felt before. His arms tightened protectively around her.

"Sleep, Firefly," he said gently. "All will now be well." His words seemed to hold some form of magic, for she fell asleep instantly, her head resting against his chest.

"Get her to Kaede now," Inu Yasha advised. "The rest of us can catch up later, but she is dying, _aniki_."

Sessho Maru didn't need to be told this. Without a word he launched smoothly and gently into the air, careful not to disturb Rina's rest. He drew his furs and the top layer of his kimono over Rina to protect her from the chilly air and winds that blew past them as he flew with all speed toward Kaede's village. He prayed to all the gods he knew for Rina to hold on. To lose her again when he had only just found her would be unbearable.

By the time that Sesho Maru arrived at Kaede's hut Rina's breathing was erratic and her pulse was weak. She was dying. Her body had had all that it could take and then some. Sessho Maru, however, didn't care.

"Don't you dare die, Rina. Don't you dare leave me again," his voice a determined growl.

He barged into Kaede's hut. Kaede had already seen him coming with Rina in his arms. She readily took the unsonscious woman from Sessho Maru and began thoroughly examining her. It was hard for Sessho Maru to be patient and wait for the verdict. He wanted to jump in and help, but he knew that Kaede could work faster and could better help Rina without his interference.

At last Kaede stood, her face grim. "The infection is very bad and has set in very deep. There is little that I can do for her, but I will do what I can." Kaede grabbed some herbs and potions. "We must try to lower the fever. That is her greatest danger at the moment." Kaede put Sessho Maru in charge of keeping cold cloths on Rina's forehead while Kaede took the task of getting Rina to swallow the herbal infusion that she had made. "This should help clean out her system and give her youkai blood strength to fight the infection again" Kaede gave Sessho Maru a look. "What concerns me, Sessho Maru, is that Rina lost the will to live and that is what caused the demon blood in her to go dormant and stop fighting the infection. We could strengthen her youkai blood to the heavens, but it would matter little if we cannot reawaken her deire to live. Whether she lives or dies is completely in her hands, Sessho Maru."

Sessho Maru nodded as he listened carefully to what the wise old miko had said. "I will not let her die," he said firmly. "I will find away to help her see that she needs to live and that not all hope is lost."

Kaede nodded. "Rest when ye can," she advised. "These are going to be long nights and hard days unless she once again begins to fight the infection." With that spoken, Kaede leaned against the wall and fell asleep.

Sessho Maru watched Rina sleep. She was so still. It made him very uneasy. He almost wished that she would writhe in agony--anything to show that she was still alive. But it was like she was too weak to do even that. Like she was beyond even the pain.

"Please don't leave me, Firefly," he said softly to her. "I could not bear it if someone that I care for died because of me again." He lay down next to her and sidled up right beside her, letting his arms wrap around her waist so as to be nearer to her. He didn't mind her unwashed scent. All that mattered was that he'd found her at last. This was his last thought before drifting to sleep.

Sessho Maru was still sleeping next to Rina several hours later when Inu Yasha and the others finally arrived. Kagome was the first to be greeted with the tender scene.

"Ssh," she warned the others, who promptly quieted down. One by one they quietly sneaked in. Rina was nestled in Sessho Maru's protective arms. One of his clawed hands rested at the back of her head, supporting it as her forehead rested against his strong chest. Not one of them had ever before seen Sessho Maru so peaceful. A look of contentment rested upon his sleeping features.

Inu Yasha watched his brother for awhile, even when everyone else had retired. _**I used to think that I had you all figured out, Sessho Maru. All those years ago when we were enemies you were easy to figure out. I knew, back then, that you were nothing but a heartless bastard and that you alwasy would be. You wanted to kill me and I wanted to kill you Back then I just knew that neither of us would stop until one of us was dead. Even though you surprised me when you took in that girl, Rin, I knew you would still be a heartless monster. Yet here it is and now I find that you have a capacity for something else other than hate. Oh, I've seen your loyalty and protectiveness toward me, my mate, and my friends. But now I see what you yourself do not even know of yet.**_ Inu Yasha didn't know how long he stood there watching over his brother and the woman wrapped in his protective arms. He didn't know how long he stood there lost in his thoughts, contemplating the many changes brought about in Sessho Maru. _**I suppose I shouldn't act so surprised**_, he mused. _**After all, nobody really thought that I could change for the better either--at least no one but Kagome.**_

Inu Yasha was aware of a shuffling sound near his feet. It was Jaken, watching his master just as thoughtfully.

"Inu Yasha?" the little imp asked quietly so as not to awaken Sessho Maru. Inu Yasha quirked an ear at him in acknowledgment. "What has happened to my master that has caused him not to hate humans so badly?" The little toad was obviously clueless and uncomprehending where love was concerned. All he knew was hate.

Inu Yasha didn't answer Jaken at first, as he was trying to think of how to explain it to where the toad could understand. "He's learning to let go of his hate," Inu Yasha said at last. "She taught him how to love," he finally said before turning away to find his mate and get some sleep. Jaken left not too long after to find a place to sleep.

Sessho Maru was awakened the next morning to Kagome shaking him awake. Turning to look up, he saw that Kagome had a completely chock full backpack. Apparently she had gone back to her time briefly.

"I told my mother of Rina's symptoms. She's given me lots of things to help Rina. I've got food for her, medicines, and all sorts of stuff."

Sessho Maru sat up when Kagome opened the bad go give him a view of its contents. "Thank you, Kagome," he said quietly. He looked down at Rina's sleeping form. She was so still that it gave his heart an icy lick of fear. Even as he held a hand in front of her nose and mouth, he could barely feel the little puffs of breath that assured him that Rina still lived.

He looked up at Kagome, feeling helpless. The pleading look on his face, begging for someone, ANYONE, to make it all better broke Kagome's heart. She seriously hadn't known that Sessho Maru could be like this.

"We'll give her some broth first," she said quietly. "It's about the only thing that we can give her while she's still unconscious. It should help re-hydrate her as well as give her nourishment." Kagome heated up the broth over the fire-pit and when it was done, she removed it from the fire to let it cool. After becoming sure that the liquid would not scald Rina's mouth or throat, Sessho Maru painstakingly dropped spoonful after spoonful into Rina's mouth as her head laid on his lap. Rina never woke up as the feeding session continued. Just somehow managed to know that swallowing was what she needed to do.

The feeding sessions continued this way for 5 days with Sessho Maru feeding her the broth and giving her the medicines that Kagome brought with her from her world. Yet with every day that passed Sessho Maru's fears increased. It was hard not to give in to the growing hopelessness he felt. He just wanted her to live, dammit! Was that so much to ask?

7 days after being rescued from captivity, Sessho Maru felt himself being awakened suddenly from his sleep. His senses were firing. Something was different.

He felt a rustle next to him. Rina was awake. She sat up with much effort and looked at Sessho Maru quietly, but she didn't say a word. Sessho Maru let out a small cry of relief. Forgetting himself, he pulled her into his arms.

"You're finally awake! Thank gods!" And yet Rina made no reply nor any attempt to do so. Her face remained an emotionless mask and her voice remained silent. Sessho Maru remembered that the auctioneer had said that she was mute. He could understand. She must have suffered horribly for her to simply stop speaking. He knew that she was defiant to the core and had a mouth on her that, in this era as a slave, could get her into a heap load of trouble. Still, he had to talk to her. Maybe she would answer. Did she even remember him?

Kagome entered the hut with a morning ration of broth. Seeing Rina, she exclaimed "She's awake!"

"Rina, it's me, Sessho Maru. Do you remember? Do you remember me?" No answer. She merely stared at him but she refused to meet his gaze eye to eye. Sessho Maru sighed inwardly. This could, and probably would, take time. "This is Kagome. She's from your era. She's brought some things to help you get better." Still no answer--not even when he mentioned her era and the fact that she wasn't the only one in Feudal Japan who was from the future.

Kagome brought out the beef broth. Kagome poured the broth into a pot over the fire. Before long the mouth-watering scent filled the room. Rina's eyes tightened in pain for an unguarded moment before she returned her face back to its expressionlessness mask.

This did not go unnoticed by Sessho Maru. "Whoever owned her before must have tortured her by letting the smell of food reach her but didn't allow her to eat." His voice was dark with dangerous anger, which only deepened when Rina gave a small nod, confirming his spoken suspicion..

"We will worry about that later," Kagome said firmly. "Right now let's just concentrate on getting her better. The broth is done." Kagome removed the pot from the fire and poured the broth into a bowl. The surprise on Rina's face as Kagome handed her the bowl was heartbreaking. Rina stared at the bowl in shock for a moment as if she couldn't believe that she was finally getting something to eat. Yet she still didn't speak.

"You're not a slave anymore, Rina," Sessho Maru said gently, his heart giving a painful squeeze that he had to assure Rina of this at all-- the defiant spitfire that at one time couldn't be tamed. "You once again have the freedom that you had before you were kidnapped."

Even though she still didn't speak, that seemed to be just what she needed to hear. She brought the bowl hungrily to her lips and promptly guzzled the scorching liquid. Moans of pleasure and delight mixed wth pain and relief rumbled from her throat between greedy swallows. She ignored the pain that the searing broth caused as it burned its way across her tongue and down into her starving belly. She could barely make herself stop to take breaths and soon she had emptied the bowl and was licking up any precious drops left behind in a desperate attempt to take in every single bit of nourishing moisture.

Kagome reached for the bowl but Rina growled at her, loathe to part with it. Kagome only laughed. "Let me have it so that I can give you more." At those words Rina promptly handed her the bowl with expectant eyes and didn't offer any more protest.

Sessho Maru grinned slightly when he heard Rina growl. The change in her from the past week was drastic. Though she still had a long way to go before she was back to her fiery old self, Sessho Maru was much encouraged. That she had growled at all was, to him, extraordinary progress in such a short time.

Rina gulped down the second bowl of broth but not as hastily, but she still had it finished in no time and though the relief in her eyes was evident, she still looked very hungry.

"Not to worry," Sessho Maru assured her. "There is more than enough food for you."

Kagome reached forward and felt Rina's forehead. Rina's fever had broken by the 4th day, but she still wanted to make sure that she was back to her normal temperature. Kagome had been gone for a few days with only Inu Yasha able to go between the worlds to bring the food to Rina. "Kaede told me how bad her fever got," Kagome said softly.

"She came close to dying," Sessho Maru affirmed, wishing for the billionth time that the Tenseiga hadn't been destroyed. "I think that her youkai blood is starting to fight the infection again."

Kagome nodded. She turned to Rina. "How 'bout this: I'll fix you some more food and then Sango and I will help you bathe and get washed up. Getting clean will also help you get over this."

Rina still didn't speak, but at the mention of bathing, her green eyes lit up and her face donned an expression of relief and she nodded her agreement.

"Just don't tell the monk of the upcoming bath," Sessho Maru drawled.

Kagome snorted as she prepared some meat for Rina, who promptly scarfed the juicy portions until at last she sat back, sated relief softening her gaunt features.

"Go distract Miroku while Rina and I go get Sango," Kagome advised Sessho Maru as she gathered a couple of hair brushes, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and some cloths and towels as well as a clean change of clothing for Rina and herself.

"And how do you propose that we get rid of the lech long enough?" Sessho Maru questioned, a tinge of slight amusement in his voice. _**As if you're any different**_, he scolded himself inwardly. _**As if you would pass up the opportunity to glimpse her skyclad.**_

"Mmph," Kagome grunted as she tried to work around her growing belly. "I don't care. Just make sure that Miroku can't come spy on us." With that Kagome motioned for Rina to follow her and the two women walked off to find Sango. It took a little while though, as Rina's step was still a little shaky. They found Sango by the lake with Kirara.

"Hey! She's awake!" Sango greeted them.

Rina nodded silently as Kagome answered, "She's still just a teensy bit warm, but we've given her some food and that's helped a lot."

Sango noticed that Rina had not said a work yet. "She hasn't spoken yet?" she asked with quiet disappointment.

Rina looked down and away.

"No, but Sessho-san says to give her time. She's been through a lot. In the meantime, help me get her bathed, ok? At least to get her hair combed out. She's from my era and I can tell that she remembers how to use this stuff and she's independent enough." Rina nodded yet again to affirm Kagome's words.

Sango agreed and the three women walked to the lake to bathe. They sat Rina down and each took a brush and went to work on her thick, matted hair. It took a very long time, but finally they were able to brush Rina's long tresses without the resistance of tangles. The pile of disentangled dead hair was very cringe-worthy. Still, even as dirt still obscured the brilliant auburn locks, it was obvious that they would be gorgeous when washed.

"Girl, I can't wait to see what your hair is like when it's clean!" Sango whistled. "You're the first red head I've ever seen."

"What about Shippo?" Kagome teased.

"Shippo's a boy," retorted Sango. "That, and he's a fox demon. Of course he's going to have red hair."

Rina turned at Sango's remark and surprised the girl with a bit of a grin but remained silent. Sango returned the smile. Kagome began peeling her clothes off and happily lunged into the lake's cool waters and Sango followed suit. Rina watched them uncertainly for a moment before disrobing and hastily hiding herself in the water.

She relaxed after a moment and eagerly accepted the shampoo that Kagome offered. She washed her hair numerous times, reveling in the long-missed sensation of cleanliness. At last, after several washes, she lathered conditioner generously in her hair and piled her now-clean auburn locks on her head and clasped it in place with a clip that Kagome gave her. Then she had fun with the body wash. She scrubbed herself until her skin turned red with aggravated protest. Finally, taking one last dunk to rinse off, she rose up out of the water, her eyes gleaming with relief. She turned slightly when she heard Kagome giggle at the sensations of the movements of her unborn pup.

Rina started to smile, but it quickly froze on her face as she began sniffing, trying to catch the scent and identify it as it wafted to her sensitive nostrils. Finally she fixed her angry gaze on the bushes and a deep growl rumbled from her throat. Sango and Kagome looked off toward the bushes and reflexively ducked down into the water to try to regain their modesty.

"3 guesses?" Sango asked, exasperation straining her voice.

"Do I even need that many?" Kagome retorted.

Sango ducked under the water and grabbed the largest throw-able rock that she could find and came up, drawing her arm back with the intention of throwing it.

Rina stopped her, however, by grasping her arm. She held out her hand out for the rock expectantly, an "Allow me," expression coloring her face.

Sango grinned and willingly handed over the small boulder to Rina. Rina eyed the bush, her eyes glittering with anger and disgust and took aim. Drawing her arm back, she chucked the rock as hard as she possibly could.

A loud THUNK greeted their ears followed by a louder "OW! BY BUDDHA!!" and, with that, out came a staggering, swirly-eyed Miroku.

The girls were already hiding behind other bushes, hastily drying off and angrily yanking on their clothes. Sango was the first to reach Miroku and she punished him well for his misdeed. She snatched his ear into her punishing grip, but her grip was a picnic compared to what she did next. Placing her mouth excruciatingly close to his ear, she screeched point blank "YOU FUCKING ASININE, PIECE OF SHIT THOUGHTLESS PERVERTED LECH!!!!!!!"

Kagome was the next to reach him, her gray eyes storming with glittering anger. "Miroku!" she shouted angrily. "How could you! Sango and I are used to your stupidity, but Rina isn't! How could you do that to her after all that she's been through! Why can't you be a gentleman for once! I oughta let her beat the living shit out of you! In fact, if she wants to, I'm certainly not going to stop her!"

Miroku, who for once looked sorry, tried to open his mouth, apology on his face, but Sango yanked cruelly at his ear and Kagome cut him off.

"Shut up! I don't want to hear it! I can't even look at you!"

"Neither can I," Sango huffed, finally releasing Miroku's sore and ringing ear, unable to add anything to Kagome's tirade that hadn't already been spoken.

Rina merely glowered at Miroku for a moment before turning her head away in angry shame. Before anyone could say anything, Rina turned and bounded off through the trees.

"Rina, wait!" Sango pleaded. She turned to Miroku, murder in her gaze. "You really fucked up this time," she snarled at him. "And I won't have the slightest pity for you when you explain to Sessho Maru why Rina went high-tailing off."

"No need to explain," came a dark and dangerous voice. They turned to find Sessho Maru glaring angrily at Miroku. "I saw the entire thing."

"I'm sorry," Miroku said contritely, finally able to get a word in edgewise. The poor monk really and truly felt awful. "I meant no harm. I didn't even stop to realize what Rina might think after everything."

"No, you didn't," Sessho Maru snarled coldly. "In fact, monk, you never think of anyone but yourself when your hentai harebrained ideas hit your filthy mind. Kagome's right. Why can't you be a gentleman for once? At least be something other than a disgusting lecher, and if you insist on continuing to be disgusting, at least leave Rina out of it. Next time she may actually kill you since I'd wager that you have a concussion with how hard she hit you with that rock."

Miroku took Sessho Maru's rebuke humbly, offering up nothing in his own defense. Kagome and Sango actually began to feel a little sorry for him. They could tell that he really was sorry for hurting Rina's feelings and causing her shame.

But Sessho Maru wasn't finished. "Do you know that she was actually raped once, monk? Hmm? And we have no idea what all happened to her while she was a captive slave. How could you possibly be so stupid and insensitive?" He shook his head in disgust. "Feh. I'll deal with you later. I'm going to go clean up your mess."

With that, Sessho Maru turned and charged after Rina's retreating scent.


	8. Chapter 7: The Sound Of Her Voice

He knew exactly where she was going. It was the one place that could give her solace and sanctuary: The ocean. Sure enough, he found her on the beach staring at the waves--the only familiar thing that could connect her with her own time.

He watched her for a moment just taking in the sight of her. Though she was still painfully thin, she was still beautiful to him. Bathed and fed, she looked a lot more like her old self. Yet his heart sank when he looked at her eyes. They were still missing their fiery, defiant spark. She was wearing clothes from her era that Kagome had let her borrow. She wore blue jeans that hung attractively off her hips and a small green t-shirt that showed an enticing view of her belly. The rich green color of the fabric set off her auburn curls--now cleaned and still damp from bathing.

Sessho Maru breathed in her scent and couldn't keep back a sigh. Almost just the way that he remembered. The heady, innocent smell of lilacs danced unhindered with the scent of tiger youkai. Yet she still smelled of fear. He realized that he'd never gotten to tell her who and what he was. _**If I hadn't been such a bleeding coward that night, I probably could have spared her all this misery. But no. I ran away and she was kidnapped when she tried to follow.**_

He walked over to Rina but he didn't know where to start. There was so much to say. _**I suppose I should make amends for the lecherous monk first**_. "I'm sorry about Miroku's stupidity," he began, the words of apology tasting foreign on his tongue. "I promise you, though, the monk is harmless. I assure you that he would never harm a soul. He's just a lech who doesn't think sometimes. He wishes to apologize when we get back."

She looked up at him. That sadness in her eyes made his stomach drop unbearably.

"Firefly, I swear to you that Miroku would never hurt you like that bastard, David, did." He saw her wince reflexively at the mention of that name. She looked away and back out toward the ocean. Suddenly he realized that it was something else bothering her. Yet, as it had been all day, she still did not speak. He couldn't take her silence any longer.

"Rina," he began, about to do something he'd never done before: beg. "Rina, please talk to me. I know that you have been through a terrible ordeal, but that's all done with. You will never be harmed again and you have no need to fear me. How can I fully give you the help that you need if I don't know what it is you need?"

Still no answer. She wouldn't even look at him. Sessho Maru reached out a clawed hand and gently framed her cheek with his palm, turning her head to look at him. She met his gaze and he suddenly realized that, somehow, he was the cause of her sadness and it was something that had darkened her eyes for the past 6 months.

Then she spoke. "Why did you run away?" the sound of her voice, rough and scratchy from being awakened from its dormant state, surprised him. "Why did you leave?" He didn't even need to ask what she was talking about.

"Because I'm a coward," he replied, his voice dull.

Rina shook her head. "No you're not, Sessho Maru. You're just unaccustomed to facing the things in your past that hurt you."

He stared at her. He hadn't expected her to be so understanding. She was right. Somehow she had seen right through him and she was right. Before Rin's murder there had been very little that could touch him--very little to make him feel anything. Even after 6 years had passed he was still unable to deal with his grief that he had buried instead of working through.

"Did I do something wrong that made you leave?" She looked over at him. "You weren't even going to come back." It wasn't even a question. She knew.

"No, Firefly, I wasn't. Not at first." He met her gaze. "But that was before I knew that your life was in danger."

She seemed to accept this. At least for the moment. She looked back out over the ocean toward the horizon. "So, where are we? I know that this is the same beach, but the city isn't there."

Ah. Something that he could explain. "We are indeed in the same place, but not in the same time period. We are in the Feudal Era."

"How?"

"Do you know of the Higurashi Shrine?"

"Yes. When I tried to follow you from the club I noticed that you were heading there."

"Did this surprise you?"

"No. Not really. Higurashi Shrine has always had a weird reputation."

Sessho Maru nodded. "At the shrine is a well. The same well also exists in this era. With the power of a Jewel called the Shikon no Tama the well becomes a portal, connecting your era with this. Kagome Higurashi, my brother's mate, is also from your time."

Rina nodded. "I could smell it on her." She looked down at the sand, awkwardly drawing in it with her bare toes. Silence fell between them for a while, though it wasn't entirely uncomfortable.

"What happened to Biru and Misu?" Sessho Maru asked at last. "We found them slain when we tracked your scent to them." Sessho Maru was almost sorry he asked, for Rina's eyes winced shut. He didn't pressure her when she didn't answer at first.

"Biru sold me to a youkai lord by the name of Hinkotsu," her voice took on a painful strangle at having Hinkotsu's name cross her tongue. "It was Lord Hinkotsu who killed them."

Sessho Maru snarled involuntarily at the mention of the bear youkai. And now he was able to fully comprehend why Rina had been in the silent and battered state she had been in when he found her at the slave auction.

"What did that bastard do to you?" he asked, trying to soften his voice but failing.

Rina seemed to understand that the malice in his voice was in no way directed toward her. Still, she shuddered slightly. "Unspeakable things, I'm sure, but I don't remember."

"What?" Sessho Maru bristled. He forced himself to calm down when he saw her flinch.

"I really don't know how to explain what happened. I only remember the first couple of months. I stopped speaking completely when I saw him kill Biru and Misu. He killed them because he'd given them explicit instructions that I was not to be harmed before he came back to get me. Misu disobeyed and beat the crap out of me because he didn't like my defiance. I healed quickly enough but there were underlying bruises on me that Hinkotsu could smell and he could smell my blood on Misu. So, he killed both Biru and Misu for Misu's disobedience. I forced myself to stop speaking as a way to keep myself from snapping back to any of his cruelty."

Rina stopped for a moment to take a breath. "He was just as cruel as Biru had told me. I could count on being hit every day merely just because he felt like doing so. I was starved in the manner that you suspected. He did probably everything to me that you can think of except rape me, thank gods. He had said that I was unworthy to mate with a demon lord such as him." Rina paused for a moment.

The hair on the back of Sessho Maru's neck prickled as if an icy breath had just blown a frigid breeze. He knew that what she was about to tell him next was not going to be pleasant.

"When he said that, that was the only time I ever spoke to him. I told him that that was fine with me and that even if I was 'worthy', he was not worthy of me because I found him utterly disgusting."

Sessho Maru nearly groaned when he heard that. Yes, he did feel a slight rush of pride for Rina having the courage _**or stupidity**_, he thought wanly, to stand up to the powerful youkai lord. But he could only imagine the torturous punishment that the arrogant bear youkai had bestowed upon his Rina.

Sessho Maru's eyes widened momentarily at that thought. His Rina? And yet the surpise did not last long. He had dreamed of her endlessly during their separation. Ached for her. Craved her. Not just craved to know that she was alright, but his body and soul had craved her. Thankfully Rina continued with relating her tale before he could lose himself in thoughts of her naked and in his bed.

"Yes, I was punished severely for that," she said, as if she had read his thoughts (well, his less lecherous ones, anyway). "But I hardly remember anything after that." She tipped her head thoughtfully. "I don't really know how to explain it. Yeah, I think I lost hope, but it was like I became detatched--like nothing mattered anymore. I did things so mechanically. I was aware of doing my work, but it was like I wasn't in my body. Anyway, the next thing I remember is you coming and buying me at the auction. I probably would have smelled you, but it was like my demon senses went dormant when I did. Truth be told, I really don't even remember why I was being sold at auction in the first place." She turned to look at Sessho Maru to see what his reaction was. Her gaze was met by his amber eyes, which were widened in uncharacteristic surprise.

"You know what you are?" he managed to choke out.

Rina nodded. "Hinkotsu was the one who told me when he confronted Misu about his beating me. He said he could smell lingering injuries that my youkai blood was still working on healing, or something like that. That was right before he killed them." She fell silent. "I was also told that you are a prominent inuyoukai lord."

Sessho Maru nodded, inwardly embarrassed that she'd had to hear it from Hinkotsu. "I am the ruler of the Western Lands, yes,"

Rina nodded. Inwardly she smirked. _**I probably look like one of those doggy on a dashboard bobble heads.**_ Silence fell like rain, drowning out any need to speak. Rina kept sneaking glances at Sessho Maru, inwardly debating on whether she dared ask him what she'd wanted to know since she had been kidnapped.

"May I ask you a question?" she asked timidly. She was surprised to hear Sessho Maru snort.

"The Rina I knew wouldn't have even needed to ask," he said bluntly.

Rina stared at him in shock, completely taken aback by the sudden harsh reply. She sat there, unsure of what to do or say. Suddenly her eyes widened with revelation. _**He's trying to goad me. He's trying to make me retaliate with how I used to be.**_ Still, she hesitated. What if she was wrong and would be punished? Her eyes flashed. _**He said I was no longer a slave. Therefore, I needn't fear retribution from him.**_

Finally she turned to him, trying to put some of her old haughtiness in her eyes. "Fine. I'll just ask," she snapped. "You never answered my question earlier. Why did you run away? What is in your past that you're wanting to escape?"

Sessho Maru now wanted to smack himself. He should have known that's what she would ask. And that wasn't something he wanted to answer. He grunted at her, hoping she'd take the hint, but he had a feeling that she had gone past the point of no return and wasn't going to let him off the hook that easy.

Sure enough. Rina turned to him boldly, though there was still a trace of uncertainty in her eyes. "Sessho Maru, I just told you of something that I would rather not remember. That alone declares that it's only fair that you reciprocate. And if that's not enough, 6 months ago you were going to leave without saying goodbye, for one, and for another thing, you weren't ever going to come back. Now, considering everything that happened earlier that day, that tells me that there was something that you didn't, and still don't, want to face."

"Yes, Rina, now leave it alone," Sessho Maru snapped.

Rina bit her lip slightly. Finally, she tilted her chin. "No," she said defiantly.

Sessho Maru turned toward her, his eyes blazing angry molten gold. "What?" he asked.

Rina barreled on. "A wise demon lord once told me that it does no good to run away from your pain--that it only makes the pain last longer. Are you telling me that this youkai lord really isn't wise? Are you telling me that he's a hypocrite after all?"

Those words struck Sessho Maru deep. He looked away for a moment. He didn't want to remember. He didn't want Rin's death flashing cruelly across his memory. Yet he knew that Rina was right. Sessho Maru's shoulders slumped as he realized this.

Rina saw this and immediately felt sorry. "Sessho Maru, I'm--"

Sessho Maru's clawed hand covered her mouth. "Don't, Firefly. The Rina I once knew would never be sorry for speaking the truth."

Rina stubbornly pulled Sessho Maru's hand away from her mouth. "Nevertheless, if you are not ready to speak of it yet, I will not press about it any more."

Sessho Maru said nothing for a moment. Finally he stood up, brushed the sand off his robes, and turned and offered Rina a hand to help her up, which she accepted. "Come," he said quietly. "There is something I must show you." Before Rina could say a word, Sessho Maru picked her up in his arms bridal style and launched smoothly into the air, riding the breeze as easily as a bird, as if the air were as tangible as a flying carpet.

Rina's heart pounded madly in her chest when Sessho Maru picked her up. So focused was she on the handsome inu-youkai that she did not notice their flight. When she did happen to look down, she gasped from the shock at how high they were and instinctively pressed tighter into Sessho Maru's hard, muscular chest.

His arms tightened around her. "Have no fear, Firefly," he said gently. "I won't let anything happen to you." His amber eyes locked fiercely with her emerald orbs. He almost found himself completely lost in their depths. "Do you trust me?" he asked, his voice a smooth whisper.

Rina seemed just as lost as he. Finally she nodded, the slightest of movement. "Yes," she said at last, her voice seemingly lost in the roaring that she heard in her ears. She was almost relieved when he looked away at last. She allowed herself to look down again, this time completely unafraid. Looking toward the horizon where the sun was making its farewell in a brilliant display of color, she thought _**It's so beautiful up here. I can't remember the last time I saw a sunset this brilliant.**_ The beauty of the golden beams playing with the rosy clouds actually saddened her. How many times in her life had she wished for someone to share this kind of thing with? She forced herself not to look at Sessho Maru. She relaxed further in his arms and lost herself completely in the sun's fading glory until the stars took over the next act of the sky's light show.

Her head rested lightly against Sessho Maru's chest and she could hear the steady bomp-bomp, bomp-bomp of his heartbeat, which acted as a sort of lullaby, for she felt herself falling asleep.

Sessho Maru could hear her breathing go steady as she fell asleep. He remembered the scent that intermingled with lilacs as she had watched the breathtaking sunset. Sadness. And lonliness. _**At least she's allowing herself to feel again**_, he thought to himself bitterly. _**So soon since the end of her ordeal and already she's made remarkable progress. She's stronger than she gives herself credit for--even now.**_ He looked down at the sleeping woman and felt his heart give another strange squeeze. Yet it was a sensation he didn't mind. He just wished that he fully knew what it meant. Right now, all he knew was that he liked holding her. He liked the feel of her head against his chest. The scent of her trust. The sound of her heart, which he remembered beating madly when he first picked her up in his arms.

He bent his head down until the tip of his nose brushed against her soft auburn curls and he whuffed in an appreciative breath. Hers was the scent of life. A smell that he thought that he could just breathe in for the rest of his days and never be satisfied.

He gently adjusted her in his arms, which weren't even growing weary. He could hold her like this for hours and still be perfectly content. He clutched her tighter to him as he looked back down at her sleeping face. Rina sighed in her sleep, unconsciously nuzzling her forehead firmly into his chest. He didn't take his eyes off her the rest of the journey until the familiar scent of his castle reached his nostrils.

Landing gently on the ground, he took her inside. The castle smelled musty, a scent of protest at being neglected in Sessho Maru's absense. He ignored it and took her to one of the rooms; a lavish chamber decorated for no one until now. Richly-colored tapestries adorned the walls and a plush rug hugged the floor.

Sessho Maru laid her down gently on the bed, pulling the thick comforter over her. His tale could wait until the morning. She needed her rest. She was, after all, still recovering from a severe illness. He reluctantly turned to leave--loathe to part at the moment and trying to remind himself that she was with him now and that he need not be anxious for her safety.

He started to walk noiselessly away when a sleep-thickened voice softly reached his youkai ears.

"Sessho?" Rina mumbled. "Don't leave me. Please stay."

Sessho Maru breathed a soft sigh of relief, glad for the invitation-- even if she was speaking from a sleepy haze. He walked back over to the large bed and laid down next to her, laying atop the covers, and contentedly took her into his arms. The last thing that he was aware of was her breath warming his chest as she fit herself against him.

The first thing that reached Rina's waking senses was his scent. The scent that she had missed in her long 6 months of captivity. She knew that he was an inu-youkai--or dog demon--yet to her he still smelled like a wolf revelling in his freedom in the lush forests and fresh mountain breezes. She could hear his heartbeat next--the calming rhythm pounding out laxly declaring that he was still asleep. She could feel his arms around her, keeping her tightly pulled against him even in repose. She could feel the hard wall of his body--the toned muscles that rippled under his taut skin. She grudgingly opened her eyes, unwilling to break this spell in any way, but she was rewarded with the sight of the sleeping Sessho Maru.

His face was calm and relaxed. Peaceful. Somehow Rina sensed that peace wasn't something that Sessho Maru got to enjoy often. She eyed the set of stripes that adorned each cheekbone and the blue crescent moon shape on his forehead. Smoothly and slowly, so as not to disturb him, she reached a hand to trace the markings with her fingers. His silky silver hair brushed her fingers and she couldn't resist taking a lock of it between her index finger and her thumb so as to marvel at its satin feel.

She looked back at his face, an ache taking over her chest. She badly didn't want him to wake up just yet. She just wanted to stay like this. She wasn't ready for this spell to be broken. She vaguely remembered asking him to stay with her and the feel of him pulling her into his arms, but she wondered what it all meant.

_**What's happening to me?**_ she thought with mild distress. _**I'm not supposed to be feeling like this.**_

She heard the subtle change in his breathing, signaling that he was slipping out of his sleep and would soon be waking up. She felt a momentary slice of panic, wondering what to do when he did wake up. Yet she didn't have much time to wonder about it for she found herself looking into Sessho Maru's amber orbs, which blinked several times as he sought to completely escape sleep.

Sessho Maru didn't say a word--just looked at her quietly--as if he too was trying to sort things out. She felt his arms tighten slightly, felt his hands spread over the small of her back. She willingly rested her head in the crook of his neck, taking comfort and solace in everything that was him. She felt only slightly awkward, yet she didn't care.

Sessho Maru was relieved when he felt her head nestle into his neck. He had stared death in the eyes countless times without flinching. And yet one glimpse into her shocking emerald orbs and he was completely rendered defenseless. It felt so natural just waking up next to her. It--

_**Stop it!**_ he told himself fiercely. _**You're losing control. She can't belong to you. She's a human---er...half human woman and she belongs back in her world, not here. Not where Hinkotsu will most likely be looking for her.**_ Yet he wanted her. It wasn't just a physical attraction, though that was certainly there too. But Rina, from the start, had had the ability to fascinate him and challenge him at every turn. He stroked her hair absently, completely lost in his thoughts. _**Besides**_, he berated himself bitterly. _**What in all seven hells makes you think she could ever want you in return?**_ Pain slashed through him at that thought, causing him to wince ever so slightly.

Rina could smell the distressing scent of pain and confusion a few moments before she felt him give the slightest of winces. Somehow she knew that the pain was nothing physical. Rather, it was deep in the heart and was more than likely something else Sessho Maru would try to bury. Yet she didn't have time to question him, for he suddenly sat up, as if eager to break off contact.

She sat up too, concern etched on her face. "Sessho Maru?" she questioned gently, unsure of what to say and feeling completely lost.

He wouldn't look at her. "Are you hungry?" he asked shortly.

Rina defiantly bit back the hurt that came from his clipped tone. "A little," she replied quietly.

"I will go get us some food," he said before getting up and walking out of the room without so much as a backward glance. The scent of something wet and salty intermingled with her hurt confusion. He'd caused her tears and he hated himself for it. _**You're only doing what's best for her**_, he argued with himself. Yet he was completely unsatisfied with that reasoning.

Rina swiped angrily at the tears that had managed to make it past her guard. She knew that he could smell the salty drops of moisture and she was furious for it. Even though she was still a ways from being completely back to her old self, she still hated to show any kind of weakness-- anything that would show how vulnerable she really was. Tilting her chin with some semblance of her former defiance, she got up and followed Sessho Maru into the kitchens. Before he could turn to look at her, she had her face set in an expressionless noh mask--oddly resembling the one that Sessho Maru almost always wore--except when he was with her. Her months of slavery had made her very practiced at this blank, stoic expression.

Sessho Maru brought her some bits of dried meat. "This will do until I can go hunting later on," he said passively, his fangs cutting into the tough morsels.

Rina didn't care that they were hard to bite through and chew. They were delicious. Like jerky made in America, but the meat was different. She gnawed relentlessly and before long she was gulping them down between greedy swallows of water. Finally she was full.

"Thank you," she said softly, not looking at Sessho Maru. The scent of regret reached her nostrils and she looked up to see him watching her.

"You are welcome," he replied just as softly. Awkward silence settled chokingly between them, like stirred up dust, before Sessho Maru stood at last.

"Come," he said flatly, not looking forward to the task that awaited him. "It is time to show you what I brought you here to see."

Rina followed him outside of the castle, marvelling at the sights that greeted her eyes for the first time. She managed to keep along with Sessho Maru's long strides while looking around in open-mouthed curiosity.

Sessho Maru saw this and couldn't resist a smirk. He knew that this was precisely how he looked when beholding the massive city of Tokyo for the first time. The slight smile faded, however, when they drew closer to their destination--Rin's grave, just west of the castle.

Rina looked and saw the small headstone. In Memory of Rin it read. She felt a small chill run down her spine. _**Hell**_, she thought. _**You'd only have to add an 'a' and it would be my name on there.**_ She gave herself a mental shake to stop the stupid thoughts. She looked up at Sessho Maru.

"Who was she?" she asked gently.

Sessho Maru took a deep breath. "She was a little girl that I took care of." He seated himsef beside Rin's grave and Rina sat herself across from him so that he could not hide. "She first came to me several years ago. She had to have been around 5 years old. I was wounded from a battle between myself and my brother--long ago when we were enemies. She found me in the woods and she was mute. She kept trying to bring me food, even though I kept refusing and often spoke harsh words to her. One day she brought me food, silent as ever, but she had bruises all over her, and she was missing a couple of teeth. Yet, even then, she still didn't make any sound of complaint. She only smiled at me, despite her injuries. She had been beaten because she had actually been stealing the food for me. Then, one day, when my wounds had healed, I could smell blood coming from her village and I could smell the pack of wolf demons that were slaughtering the villagers. I could smell her running toward me, trying to escape the wolves, but they pounced on her and killed her before I could even get to them."

Sessho Maru took in Rina's look of horror before continuing. "Something that you have to understand, Rina, is the kind of creature I was back then. I was very evil and cared only for myself and didn't care who I had to kill or hurt to get my way." Sessho Maru started to look away, not thinking that he could bear it if he saw disgust or hatred in Rina's eyes, but Rina stopped him, caressing his cheek with her palm in the same manner as he had done yesterday.

He cleared his throat and continued. "I had in my possession at that time a very special sword. It was made from the fang of my father. This sword was called the Tenseiga, and it was a sword that couldn't kill. Instead, it was a sword of healing. Back then, I considered such a blade completely worthless and I coveted my brother's sword, the Tetsusaiga, which was also made from the fang of our father, but that sword could slay a hundred demons with just one stroke.

"Anyhow, I got to where the wolves were torturing Rin, who was already dead. At first I was just going to turn my back as I had always done. Yet, for some reason, I couldn't. I just couldn't bring myself to let the girl die. So, I frightened off the wolf demons and slashed at Rin's body with the Tenseiga and brought her back to life. She had been with me ever since."

Sessho Maru's gaze fastened on Rin's grave marker. Now came the hard part. "6 years ago, when Rin was about 11 years old, some angry villagers, convinced that I was using Rin for some evil purpose, came to this castle and kidnapped her and they got a hold of the Tenseiga." Sessho Maru shook his head for a moment. "What's odd is that I cannot even remember why I left the blade behind in the first place. I had never let it part my side except for that one time--"

Rina's heart gave a painful squeeze at the sound of the pain and grief that laced his voice. Without thinking, she reached across and grasped his hand firmly, trying to offer what support she could give. She gave an inward sigh of relief when she felt him return the pressure with his own fingers.

"I followed the scent of the men who had kidnapped her and eventually found them holding her hostage in a village. Before my eyes they broke the Tenseiga. I think it was then that I knew that they meant to kill Rin."

Rina's eyes widened in horror.

"I actually begged them to leave her out of this, that she was only a human child, that none of my debt should be placed on her shoulders, yet those bastards killed her anyway. They killed an innocent child. And because the Tenseiga was broken, I couldn't bring her back." Sessho Maru felt something warm and wet sliding down his cheek and realized, with much shock, that it was actually a tear. He had never allowed himself to weep. Not ever. Not even when he'd felt like he was dying inside. Yet now his control had almost completely snapped.

Rina managed to put the rest of the pieces together. "And the song 'My Immortal' reminded you of her," she said softly. "That's why you ran away." She reached up a tender hand and gently brushed the tears off his face before he had the chance to look away, which he tried to do, but Rina wouldn't let him. Instead, she pulled him to her and laid his head on her chest and held him. She felt Sessho Maru stiffen slightly in weak protest, but then he leaned into her embrace and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Then she felt his body tremble--tremors of grief causing his shoulders to shake.

Thus Sessho Maru did something that he'd never done and had never allowed himself to do: He cried.

Rina held him for a long time, even as she felt the tremors stop. She could feel his breathing, still somewhat shaky, lift his shoulders and his sides. She absently stroked his hair, wanting to comfort him in every way that she could. The sun was very high in the sky, signaling the pass of noon, before Sessho Maru and Rina finally parted contact to stretch joints and muscles that protested at the awkward position in which they'd been held for so long.

Sessho Maru watched as Rina stretched luxuriously, resembling the cat to which she was related, grunts of pleasure working themselves through her clenched teeth before finally relaxing. Looking up, she saw Sessho Maru reach a hand down to her to help her up, which she accepted.

Pulling herself up to her feet, she didn't look at him at first. Instead her attention was momentarily occupied with the brief task of brushing dust off her jeans. Then she straightened, intending to say something to him, but suddenly her eyes were locked magnetically with his and the words died in her throat--drowned away and forgotten in his golden depths.

_**Oh gods**_, she thought breathlessly as she found herself unable to look away--as if she were completely hypnotized and the rest of the world had died away. Her heart thundered madly in her chest as she was aware of Sessho Maru moving closer to her--not that there was much space to close anyway. But the thing that reached through her roaring senses the most was his scent. It was still the wild wolf scent that she found comfort in, but there was something else mixed with it. It didn't take long for her to identify this scent. She'd smelled desire on human males before. Yet it smelled different coming from Sessho Maru. She actually liked it. She breathed in deeply, inhaling his spicy scent, while unconsciously rimming her lips with her tongue.

Sessho Maru's eyes flamed molten fire as he caught that small movement. He stepped closer, almsot touching, until she had to crane her neck to look up at him as he practically towered over her. He could see her throat swallow nervously amidst the rapid fluttering of her pulse. His nostrils took in her scent. It was then that he was able to shake off the reverie that her emerald orbs sent him spiralling into. Yes, he could smell the honeyed scent of her desire, but it was tainted with uncertainty and a little fear.

That was enough to stop Sessho Maru in his tracks. _**She's not ready for anything like this**_, he thought, trying to temper down his heated youkai blood. _**She still has many traumas and memories to work through and sort out.**_ Sessho Maru backed away slightly, and it was utter agony to do so. He didn't want to force her or frighten her, but gods! how he wanted her! Even as he gave her her space, an unbidden image of her naked and straining against him, underneath him, was almost more than he could bear. His body stirred with longing, but he forcd himself another step away from her. He looked at her, a kind, soothing expression taking over his features at the confused look that came over her face.

"We should get back to the others," he said with soft gruffness. "I know of a certain lecherous monk who still owes you an apology."

Rina's emerald eyes glittered with confusion mixed with relief. She nodded her agreement to Sessho Maru's statement. "Yeah. And I should probably apologize too, for throwing that rock at him." She felt relief course through her at the amusing sound of Sessho Maru's dismissive snort.

"Don't trouble yourself about it, Firefly," he advised as he lifted her into his arms, preparing for their journey back. "If you ask me, that hentai deserved it and still owes you." He allowed an amused glimmer to warm his amber gaze as it met with Rina's. A small smile twitched the corner of his normally-set mouth. He tightened his arms around her in a reassuring manner as he lifted them into the air. He was pleased at the trusting manner in which she relaxed into him and merely laid her head in the crook of his neck. She was asleep before Sessho Maru knew it. Apparently she was practiced at snatching sleep whenever it was possible. Yet the amusement left his eyes as he remembered the glimmer of fear that had come across her gaze earlier. And he was frustrated. Just the sight of her moistening her lips had been enough to nearly drive him mad with wanting to claim her mouth with his. But he couldn't bring himself to do so until she was more back to her old self. He wanted it to be the old Rina that had captivated him on the beach all those months ago. He missed her fiery spirit. Yes, she was recovering it bit by bit. But her previous traumas still hung too freshly in her memory. And the thought of her being frightened in the least because of his impatience was something that Sessho Maru could hardly bear.

These thoughts kept him completely occupied to the point where he nearly overshot the village where Inu Yasha and the rest anxiously awaited their return.


	9. Chapter 8: It's My Life

Rina jerked back into alertness the moment she felt Sessho Maru's feet come into contact with the ground. She could smell the approaching scents of the others. They were worried--especially poor Miroku. She looked up at Sessho Maru and found him gazing gently at her.

"Did you rest well, Firefly?"

Rina smiled slightly at the endearment and nodded as Sessho Maru set her gently on her feet. At that moment the others came into view, each of them bearing worried expressions, even Inu Yasha despite himself.

"Where have you two been?!" Inu Yasha fairly barked.

"Is Rina alright?" Miroku fretted.

"I'm fine," Rina replied drolly, causing everyone's eyes to widen with surprise.

"She speaks," Sango gasped.

"Long story," Sessho Maru put his 2 cents in.

"Where have you two been?" Inu Yasha demanded again.

Sessho Maru eyed his younger brother calmly. "There were things that needed explanation. I took her to an appropriate place."

"Where?" Inu Yasha pushed.

"Rin's grave," Sessho Maru replied, annoyance peppering his voice.

Everyone fell silent.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, but this couldn't have waited," Sessho Maru said at last.

"Don't worry about it," Kagome broke in smoothly. "You're here. You're safe. No harm done."

Thus, Miroku apologized to Rina, who waved him off and assured him that no harm was done and apologized for throwing the rock at him, who assured her that he'd deserved it. They all walked into Kaede's hut whereupon they ate stew that Kaede prepared. Sessho Maru staved off their questions and demanded that they save their questions for the following day. But he had a purpose for this.

After he was sure everyone else was asleep, he shook Inu Yasha awake and motioned him outside to talk.

"What's wrong, Sessho Maru?" Inu Yasha grumbled, not happy that he'd been pulled away from his pregnant mate.

"We need to talk," was Sessho Maru's tight reply.

"What about?"

"There was a reason that I didn't want Rina to have to answer questions about what she's gone through and that is because I wanted to talk with you of it first."

This got Inu Yasha's attention. "Why?"

"Because of who it was that used to own her."

"Stop speaking in riddles," Inu Yasha snapped impatiently.

"Biru and Misu sold her to Lord Hinkotsu." Sessho Maru let this information sink in as Inu Yasha's face contorted in shock.

"How is it that she's even still alive?" Inu Yasha managed to grind out.

"I don't know," Sessho Maru replied grimly. "The fact that she doesn't even remember how she came to be at the slave auction doesn't put my mind to rest. I fear that she may still be in danger."

Inu Yasha nodded. "Hinkotsu isn't the type to release a slave to the mercy of a slave auction. I see why you are uneasy."

Sessho Maru's frown deepened as if giving visible measurement to his depth of thought. "The only theory I have is that she must have been stolen somehow."

"Or she might have managed to run away," Inu Yasha offered darkly.

Sessho Maru shook his head. "I don't believe so. From what she told me of her empty state of mind, she wouldn't have had the thought to run away."

"So, what are you going to do?" Inu Yasha asked at last. "Regardless of how she was taken away from Hinkotsu, she will still be in danger."

Sessho Maru sighed. "I see no other choice than to take her back to her time. That probably should not even be a question since that is the time in which she belongs and I know that there are people that need to know that she's alright, but--" Sessho Mar stopped.

"But what, _aniki_?" Inu Yasha pressed quietly.

"I just got her back, Inu Yasha, and already I face losing her."

Inu Yasha said nothing. He just studied his brother.

Sessho Maru sighed. "But I don't wish for her to be in danger. I could not bear it if something happened to her again."

_**You've changed so much, brother**_, Inu Yasha thought.

Because of the direction that the wind was blowing, neither Inu Yasha nor Sessho Maru realized that Rina had followed them close enough to hear the majority of what they spoke. She felt angry and hurt that Sessho Maru hadn't even included her in the decisions concerning her life. She tried to console herself with the fact that he only wanted what was best for her. But it still hurt that he hadn't trusted her enough to include her in a conversation about what would happen to her next.

Her eyes tightened as she began to lose her grip on her swelling anger. She hadn't been allowed to decide for herself in 6 long, hellish months and dammit, it was going to stop NOW!

Stepping out into view, she challenged, "Anything else about MY life that you just might want to include ME in?"

The guilty expressions that Sessho Maru and Inu Yasha exchanged would have been funny at any other time, but Rina was nowhere near laughing.

"What are you doing here, Rina? You should be resting," Sessho Maru said.

"Don't change the subject on me, LORD Sessho Maru," Rina snapped, putting as much bite into the sentence. "You should have enough decency to not make decisions for me behind my back!"

"That was never my intention, Firefly," Sessho Maru replied as calmly as he could. "Inu Yasha and I are trying to figure out what to do about Hinkotsu. You do not realize the danger that you are in." Sessho Maru paused, trying to take a calming breath. "Besides, I thought that you would be happy to get back to your time where things are normal and familiar to you."

Rina's eyes narrowed at the bitterness that adorned that last that Sessho Maru spoke. _**Is he actually upset that I have to leave?**_

Sessho Maru turned to Inu Yasha. "If you will, brother, I need to speak with Rina alone. We will talk more in the morning."

Inu Yasha nodded his compliance before walking back to Kaede's hut.

"Sit down, Rina."

Rina sat. But she kept her distance. Sessho Maru could understand why she was angry, but it irked him badly that she did not see that he only wanted her to be safe. _**Does she still doubt how much I care for her?**_ The thought made him grit his teeth.

Finally Sessho Maru spoke. "Rina, I know that what you've gone through has been terrible. And that is precisely what I want to prevent from happening again. Please do not think, even for one moment, that I was trying to take your freedom from you. But, for you to understand this, I must make you understand what Hinkotsu is like."

"I _KNOW_ what he's like, Sessho Maru," Rina snapped. "I _WAS_ his slave for 6 months, after all."

"Would you listen to me?!" Sessho Maru barked, trying to rein in his frustration and completely irked that Rina could bring about his loss of his iron clad control. "You told me that Hinkotsu killed Biru and Misu because Misu hit you and that you knew that it had nothing to do with your personal well-being but, rather, to do with Hinkotsu's pride, correct? Well, that is the same reason you are in danger, Rina! The only way that any of his slaves escape him is through death! Don't you understand?! Hinkotsu wasn't the one to send you to the slave auction because he knows no such mercy! Losing a slave is damaging enough to his pride as it is. But to lose a slave that is important to a mortal enemy is much worse! That is why he will not stop until he either brings you back into slavery or kills you!"

But Rina stuck out her chin stubbornly. "I can take care of myself! And why would I, a pathetic half-demon, be so important to you, a prominent youkai lord?!"

Sessho Maru nearly popped a vein as his control continued to unravel at the feet of this infuriating woman. "You doubt me?! You doubt your importance to me when I have searched endlessly for you for over 6 months?!"

Rina opened her mouth to say something, but Sessho Maru couldn't bear to hear it and did the first thing that he could think of that would silence her. Reaching out with his clawed hand, he grasped her wrist and roughly dragged her to him, bringing her mouth to his in a fierce, hungry kiss. He felt Rina stiffen with surprise for a moment before, magically and to his utter surprise and relief, relaxing in his arms before returning the kiss with a moan of desperation. When he felt her lips returning the pressure that he gave, he thought he would drown in her honeyed flavor. His arms wound tightly around her waist as his mouth became less forceful and more exploring. He felt her relax further in his arms, yet he pulled back until he could see her eyes, which were whirling dizzily as she gazed back at him.

In a dark, husky growl, he muttered, "Shut up," as if to voice the original purpose for the kiss lest there be any doubt.

At first Rina said nothing; just continued to gaze at him as if trying to sort out what had just happened between them. Then, as if she had finally gathered her wits, she tilted her chin at an attempt at defiance.

"Make me," she shot back, her voice slightly raspy as she tried to recover from the shock.

Sessho Maru's eyes narrowed at the challenge, yet his hands were nothing short of tender as they reached up and framed her face. Rina rimmed her lips with her tongue unconsciously as she found that she couldn't tear her emerald gaze from his golden one. She felt the defensive tension melt from her as Sessho Maru's clawed fingers gently brushed tendrils of her fiery hair away from her face.

Unable to bear the wait, Sessho Maru lowered his head down to hers in a smooth motion, his lips claiming hers in a smooth but firm embrace. One hand remained on her head and tangled his fingers deep into her thick auburn curls, but the other strayed down to her hip and wound around to rest on the small of her back. When he felt her return his kiss, his arm tightened around her in the infinite need to have her as close as possible. Still unsatisfied and needing her closer still, he rimmed her bottom lip with his tongue, the questioning gesture impossible to misunderstand. Parting her lips in acknowledgment, Rina allowed his entrance and moaned sweetly as he eagerly and skillfully explored the textures of her mouth before teasing her tongue with his. He thrilled silently as he felt her arms wrap strongly around his shoulders, alerting him to her need to have him as near as possible as well. She moaned again as her arms tightened about his shoulders and she pressed herself closer to him. She could feel his arousal straining against her hip.

_**Oh please**_, she silently begged as he kissed her lips, her face, her eyes, her neck. He nipped the sensitive skin on the back of her neck just below her hairline and delicious tremors danced from his fangs to gather warmly between her legs. Oh gods, she wanted him so badly, regardless of everything she'd been through. She knew she could find complete healing in Sessho Maru's arms.

Finally, and grudgingly, Sessho Maru broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers so as to allow himself to recover, still holding her close. Pulling back a little so as to look into her emerald depths, he muttered softly, "You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that."

Rina didn't answer. Just continued to watch him. She was still breathless, that much was obvious, but added to her features were other emotions. Fear. Confusion. Even sadness.

Suddenly Sessho Maru felt something that was still a little new to him. Remorse. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I shouldn't have done that."

"Why not?" Rina asked.

"Because it was a very selfish thing for me to do." Sessho Maru paused as he tried to straighten out his fumbled thinking and bring his thoughts into coherency. "I care for you, Rina. I care for you very much, and yet I must send you back to your own time, for your safety at the very least. You must believe me in that I have no desire to ever let you out of my sight again, yet I would be very selfish to keep you here."

"But what if I want to stay?" Rina asked, catching him by surprise.

Sessho Maru could only stare. "Do you?" Then he quickly added, "Though that in no way means that you can stay for right now. Please understand. Until it is clear that Hinkotsu is no longer a threat, I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to remain here. But do you?"

Rina nodded, biting her lip, distressed. "Yes. I want to stay here. I mean, I do want to go back home and let everyone know that I'm alright, but I want to stay here." _**With you**_, she silently added.

Sessho Maru rested his forehead against hers again. "Perhaps you can come back someday," he said softly.

Rina nodded before going back fully into his arms. Both were silent for a moment. Then Rina asked, "So, just how long had you been wanting to do that?"

Sessho Maru smiled lightly. "Since that first day when you knocked me nigh senseless on the beach. I'd never met anyone like you."

Rina snickered slightly at the memory. "You know, I still feel bad for just assuming that you intended harm."

"Don't worry about it, love," Sessho Maru soothed. "You had every reason and excuse to defend yourself when you thought that you were in danger."

They remained and relaxed in each other's presence for quite a while before Sessho Maru insisted that they go back to Kaede's hut to rest. "I will take you back to your time tomorrow," he said quietly.

Finding her spot on the floor, Rina laid down and smiled when she felt Sessho Maru lay down behind her and wrap his arms solidly around her as he'd become accustomed to since finding her and rescuing her from the slave auction. Yet even as she went to sleep, Rina's heart gave a painful squeeze at the realization that this time tomorrow she wouldn't have him with her anymore. Her last thought before sleep claimed her was of the delightful tingle that remained on her lips.

Sessho Maru passed a nearly sleepless night. He lay awake memorizing the feel of her in his arms, the sound of her breathing, the little mumbling noises she made in slumber, even the way that she turned in his arms to burrow her head solidly into his chest--right next to his heart, which he found ached like the dickens. His last thought before sleep claimed him was the dull ache of realization that he missed her already.

* * *

Everyone noticed the silence between Sessho Maru and Rina the next morning. It wasn't a tense or angry silence, but, rather, a heavy one. Sadness. The room was thick with it. No questions were asked. None were needed. Rina would be leaving them soon and it was for her own good.

Rina helped with some of the chores and conversed lightly with Kagome and Sango as they worked, but no goodbyes were said. At last, Rina looked up at Kaede's doorway and saw Sessho Maru watching her. It was time. Giving a long, last look at her new friends, Rina silently nodded back at him and moved to follow him to the well.

Rina and Sessho Maru started their walk to the well as though they were headed to execution--each stooped in there posture and lost in their own thoughts. It wasn't until they were out of sight of the village that Sessho Maru finally closed the gap of space between them and pulled Rina gently into his arms, as if he needed her for support rather than the other way around.

Rina's stomach dropped and she couldn't suppress the sigh that escaped her mouth as the well came into sight. She felt Sessho Maru's comforting embrace tighten around her and she tried to memorize the warmth of it. They stood at the well for several minutes, fingers interlaced, silent.

Without warning, Sessho Maru grabbed her arm and yanked her to him forcefully before meshing his mouth with hers. He kissed her with the desperation of unknowing---not knowing when they would be together again and knowing that this kiss could be their very last for a very long time.

Tears started to gather in Rina's eyes as she kissed him back, her fingers winding and tangling themselves in his hair, loathe to ever let him go. Their tongues battled one another, their arms clasped each other so fiercely that they both had trouble drawing air.

They collapsed together onto the carpet of fallen autumn leaves, Sessho Maru on top of her pressing her down into the earth, still kissing her as desperately. He could smell her want and knew that her desire matched his, and yet he dared not follow through with what his body craved. He had to start calming down. He lay his head on her chest and they held each other close for a long time.

At last, with a heavy sigh, Sessho Maru spoke, "I suppose we cannot continue putting off the inevitable."

At the sound of his heavy tone, Rina's heart constricted painfully at the memory of how angry she had been with him last night. As if he'd actually take delight in separating from her. Her thoughts were broken off when she felt Sessho Maru move.

Bending, he lifted her gently into his arms and held her as if she were the most precious and fragile thing on earth. Carrying her bridal style, he stepped up onto the lip of the well. "Don't be afraid, Firefly," he murmured gently. Then he stepped off, feeling Rina's arms tighten reflexively around his neck at the feeling of nothing but space beneath them.

Rina watched the flowing energy in the well with fascination. When it cleared up, they were on the floor of the well, but daylight was hindered by the roof of the well house. With a simple, smooth leap, Sessho Maru bore them to the outside of the well and set Rina gently on her feet. Facing each other, neither said anything at first, both at a loss.

Finally it was Sessho Maru who spoke. "Kagome comes back fairly regularly to visit her family and to get supplies--both for herself in her condition as well as for the others. If you have need of anything of me, just send the message along with Kagome. And I will send messages to you through her."

Rina nodded silently. She didn't trust herself to speak at the moment.

"Go find your friends, Rina," Sessho Maru said gently. "Go back to your life." With that, he turned and, before Rina could even speak a word, stepped over the lip of the well. When Rina looked over the edge, he was already gone.

Rina stayed by the well for hours, completely at a loss as to what to do. She didn't let herself cry. Stirrings of the woman that she had been began to take an iron grip, enabling her to keep back any tides of longing. Finally she rose to her feet which, of a volition that she didn't even remember, walked to the place where Kuri lived.

* * *

3 hours later Rina's weary feet brought her to Kuri's doorstep. The light was on. Without thinking, Rina's fist rapped lightly on the door.

A muted "Just a minute!" could be heard, followed by Kuri's approaching scent and footsteps. Rina could barely even look up when the door opened. Shocked silence met her ears first, which then introduced the sound of a choked gasp. "Rina!"

Rina looked into Kuri's eyes barely a split second before she was engulfed in the arms of her best friend.

"Oh Rina! Oh gods!" Kuri sobbed over and over.

It was in Kuri's arms that Rina abandoned her resolution not to weep.


	10. Chapter 9: In Times of Absence

Nobody asked questions when Sessho Maru returned to the village. Rina's absence and the darkness in his eyes explained enough. His face was a cold, dark blank as he sought to hide just how much he felt the fact that Rina was gone. A universe away and not far at all.

It was hours before anyone approached him. It was Kagome. She sat next to him and remained silent; only moving once in a while to catch glimpses of his numb face. Her voice was barely a whisper when she finally spoke.

"I'm sorry, Sessho-sama." She saw Sessho Maru's pointed ears twitch slightly. "I know that you're probably feeling awful since you worked so hard to get her back only to send her away again."

Sessho Maru uttered a sigh that was riddled with the message that he just wanted to be left alone.

"Whenever I go home, I'll be sure to look her up to see how she's doing. Who knows? Maybe it won't take long to get rid of Lord Hinkotsu."

Sessho Maru looked at her.

"Don't be so surprised," Kagome chided. "Inu Yasha told me everything."

As he watched his brother's pregnant mate waddle away, Sessho Maru didn't have the heart to tell her that he'd already thought of that.

* * *

It had been a week. Rina spent most of her time at the beach. There she threw herself into her song writing; pouring her heart and loneliness into the lyrics and into every tragic note they drew on the piano keys. It had been hard the first couple of days. It had taken superhuman persuasion on Kuri's part before she managed to get Rina to tell her everything. At first the only thing that Rina would tell her was "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." But as time went by Kuri gradually helped Rina's faith in her to be restored and thus Rina finally told her the whole story. To Rina's relief, Kuri lived up to Rina's fragile faith and kept encouraging her friend to stay strong.

They worked on songs together and, though they no longer had Souji as their manager, they became regular performers at the beach club where Rina and Sessho Maru first met. Rina saw Kagome's younger brother, Sota, quite often and it was from him that she would always hear of when Kagome would next be home.

* * *

A month and a half since she was returned to her time, Kagome came to deliver a package herself that Sessho Maru had bundled for her. In it was a letter that Kagome explained Sessho had written himself after Kagome had taught him how to read and write. There was also a beautifully crafted bracelet of pearls and shells that Sessho Maru had collected from the sea. Kuri was sitting right there as Rina opened and read Sessho Maru's letter. Rina traced the awkward slants of kanji for a moment before beginning to read Sessho Maru's letter out loud.

_My lovely Rina,_

_I apologize for this taking so long to get this to you. I'm not overly experienced with writing but Kagome has been showing me how every evening since the day that you left so that I could soon write to you myself. Luckily I am a fast learner._

_I miss you so much, Rina. So much more than simple, scribbled words could ever express._

_The search for Hinkotsu is proving fruitless at best. Inu Yasha and I searched the territories around the village where we found you, but none there seemed to know who we were talking about. Lately I have been traveling alone in my search. Kagome, as you might have noticed, has gotten quite large in her pregnancy and her doctor in your time has warned her that she needs to take it easy lest she go into labor too soon._

_I hope that you like the bracelet. Shippo helped me gather the pearls and shells for it and Sango helped me put it together. Miroku proved to be quite useful there too._

_Speaking of Sango and Miroku, they seem to be growing closer and closer. I think that between Kagome and Inu Yasha as well as you and myself have made them start to realize that there really isn't any reason for them to deny their feelings for each other anymore. How do I know this? I once spied them together and Miroku grasped Sango's backside yet again. Sango didn't ever slap him for it. I was not spying on them intentionally but, just the same, I couldn't help but notice that Sango didn't beat the hell out of Miroku for groping her like she normally does when he pulls his stunts._

Rina giggled uncontrollably for a moment before explaining to Kuri how Miroku was always groping on Sango's ass and Sango, in return, was constantly slapping the crap out of him. "I swear! I'm amazed that Miroku doesn't have a permanent hand print on his face!" Rina crowed as she and Kuri laughed at the lecherous monk's expense before Rina continued.

_I am jealous of them all, Rina. Jealous that they all get to be with the one they love while we are forced to be separated without any knowing or idea of when we'll get to be together again. I do not begrudge them their happiness, please know that. I just wish that we could enjoy our own bliss._

Here Rina went silent in her reading as, in glimpsing ahead momentarily she saw that the letter became too private for her to read aloud comfortably. Instead she finished it for herself before letting Kuri read it.

_I love you, my Rina. I dream of you every night---dreams that are too...private, shall we say, to write in a letter. And yet I can't help myself. I dream of getting to take you into my arms at long last to satisfy our need for each other. Of making love to you until we're both sweaty, spent, and sated. I've longed to sink myself into your silken heat since I first laid eyes on you and your soul called out to resurrect mine._

_Do you dream of me as well, Rina? Do you see the stars at night and believe that I see them too? I do. I do so every night. And I will continue to do so until the day when we are reunited, never to part again._

_Your loving,_

_Sessho Maru_

Kuri's first response after reading the last part was to start fanning herself. "Damn, Rina! For being new at writing, your man sure has a HELLUVA way with words!"

Rina grinned unrepentantly as she put on the bracelet from Sessho Maru.

* * *

Rina and Kuri waited behind the wall, waiting to be called on stage. Behind them waited their bassist and drummer. They would be singing some new songs tonight. Kuri had really liked some of the songs that Rina had written after returning home and had encouraged their band to practice them with the intent of performing them live.

"We can't just play covers forever," Kuri had reasoned. "We can't expect success of our own when we're too busy singing other people's songs."

Rina fidgeted fitfully. She was nervous. They were going to play "I Do" first. "I Do" was one of the first songs that Rina had written completely by herself without collaborating with Kuri or any of the other band members on lyrics or music. And when she had gotten stuck on part of the song, she had found the inspiration for its completion from Sessho Maru's letter. Kuri, Shoto, and Ryuko insisted that it was a good song, but Rina was nervous about playing this large piece of her bared soul in front of a live audience.

Rina tensed and then went strangely calm as she heard their group announced and heard the cheering of the audience. The four of them walked out to the stage grinning and waving before going to their places and their waiting instruments---Kuri taking up her electric guitar, Ryuko taking up her bass, Shoto seating himself at his drums, and Rina picking up her acoustic guitar. There was a breathless pause and then the room was filled with the bold, hard chords of Kuri's guitar, the softer chords of Rina's acoustic, the steady thrumming of the bass, and the pounding rhythm of the drums. Rina's breathing eased as the intro drew to a close and her time to sing hugged her closer.

_---So distant and unreachable  
__Unattainable  
__You are worlds away from me  
__Leaving me longing for what I can't have  
__How could you leave me?  
__I know you love me  
__So why won't you let me love you? _

_You're now so far away  
__You took my heart with you  
__How am I supposed to survive  
__Without you  
__The one who saved my life?  
__How could you leave me  
__When I love you?_

_Do you see the stars at night  
__And wonder if I see them too?  
__Do you look up at the moon  
__And pretend I'm seeing it with you?  
__Do you feel this emptiness inside  
__Because I'm not there by your side?  
__All I know is  
__I do_

_When will you come back for me  
__My love?  
__Every day away from you  
__Makes me die more and more  
__I'm losing myself  
__And only you can bring me back_

_Do you see the stars at night  
__And wonder if I see them too?  
__Do you look up at the moon  
__And pretend I'm seeing it with you?  
__Do you feel this emptiness inside  
__Because I'm not there by your side?  
__All I know is  
__I do---_

By now Rina was fully into the song and was grateful for the break that Kuri's guitar solo gave her. For the first time she looked out into the crowd and was astonished to see that people were actually dancing to it, whether they were just moving with the music in their seats or actually up on their feet. Then she heard the key change and filled her lungs to accommodate the stretch.

_---Do you see the stars at night  
__And wonder if I see them too?  
__Do you look up at the moon  
__And pretend I'm seeing it with you?  
__Do you feel this emptiness inside  
__Because I'm not there by your side  
__All I know is  
__All I know..._

_Do you see the stars at night  
__And wonder if I see them too?  
__Do you look up at the moon  
__And pretend I'm seeing it with you?  
__Do you feel this emptiness inside  
__Because I'm not there by your side  
__All I know  
__Oh, all I know_

_Is that I see the stars at night  
__And wonder if you see them too  
__I look up at the moon  
__And pretend I'm seeing it with you  
__I feel so empty inside  
__Because you're not here by my side  
__I don't know how many hours I've cried  
__But I keep it all inside...  
__Do you?  
__I do.---_

The crowd's reaction to the new and unfamiliar song left Rina and the others completely breathless. Apparently it was a hit. Yet some of it was wasted on Rina. For while she was thrilled at the reaction to it, she couldn't help but be reminded that the one for whom she sang was not there. Her heart sank while she donned a smile that didn't reach her eyes as her gaze fell on the table where Sessho Maru had sat the 2 nights he had watched them perform. And everyone thought that the two fugitive tears that escaped down her cheeks were from happiness.


	11. Chapter 10: Reunion

Rina waited anxiously by the well. According to Sota, Kagome was supposed to be here today. It had been 3 months since Rina had returned to her era. Kagome had been able to return 6 times, always bringing something for Rina from Sessho Maru. Rina treasured each and every one of his gifts, grateful to have something of him with her. She also would send things for him back with Kagome. Letters that Kagome could read to him. Pictures that she drew. What she had for him today was her first attempt at a watercolor painting, which turned out VERY good, if she didn't say so herself. It was a picture of them on the beach, sidled up together reading a book with the sunset giving off amazing colors.

Rina checked her watch impatiently. Kagome's last visit had been a couple of weeks ago and Kagome had looked either ready to pop or fall over. Each time it was getting harder and harder to climb up the rope ladder, but Rina usually helped her.

Sota was absolutely thrilled that he was going to be an uncle and Kagome's mother couldn't get over the glorious possibility of grandchildren with fuzzy Inu ears. Grandpa, though he looked forward to his first great-grandchild, still could be caught every so often mumbling about what new scrolls he should plaster on Inu Yasha.

Rina always found all this quite amusing, but right now she was concerned. Kagome was late. 2 hours. She was about to check her watch for the trillionth time when her youkai senses picked up energy from the well, signifying that someone was coming. She looked down into the well, eager to catch a glimpse of Kagome. Instead she saw something that made her brow furrow and her worries return. It wasn't Kagome. It was Inu Yasha.

Rina jumped back as Inu Yasha bounded out of the well, his features tight and tense.

"Rina! Where's Kagome's mother!" he barked, casting aside any pretense.

"Nobody's home right now. I just checked," Rina replied, her voice tight with worry. "What's wrong? What's going on?"

"Kagome's in labor, but she's having trouble and Kaede's away from the village!"

"Bring me back with you, Inu Yasha!" Rina insisted. "I can help!"

Inu Yasha shook his head. "I can't! Sessho Maru would be furious! It's still not safe for you! What if Hinkotsu catches your scent?"

With a howl of frustration, Rina smacked him hard on the head. "Inu Yasha! You dumbass! You're lucky that it's Kagome's word and not mine that makes you face plant 'cause I would SIT you all the way to China and beyond!

"Sessho Maru would be even more angry with if you passed up the one person who can help your mate and your pup! Now, dammit! Let's go!"

With uncharacteristic meekness and a "Yes, ma'am, right away, ma'am" look on his face, he bounced into the well and Rina followed. Giving herself to the rippling energy that flowed in the well, she waited for her feet to touch bottom. Once there and out of the well, she and Inu Yasha were racing at top speed toward the village. Since returning to her era, Rina had spent a lot of time trying to hone what youkai skills that she knew that she had, especially her speed, which Inu Yasha was having to work hard to keep up with.

Upon reaching the village, Inu Yasha and Rina made a bee-line for Kaede's hut. Outside waited Miroku, Sessho Maru, and Jaken. Miroku was pacing nervously, praying to all the gods he knew for the safety of Kagome and her pup. Jaken was fidgeting fretfully, but was otherwise quiet. Sessho Maru looked just as emotionless as ever, but he was unable to keep the worry out of his eyes. Then his golden eyes found Rina and the worry was replaced with a multitude of other emotions, each of which brought his expressionless face to life. Surprise. Joy. Fear. Even anger.

"Inu Yasha," he began his protest, but Rina cut him off.

"Stow it, Sessho Maru!" she snapped. To Inu Yasha she said tightly, "Come on."

Inu Yasha back-peddaled. "I can't go in there!"

Rina knew that this was still part of the time when the father waited anxiously outside while the mother gave birth, but Rina didn't have the patience.

"Inu Yasha, your mate is of the modern era, as am I, and where we come from women want their men with them during labor. And I might need your help. So get your hanyou hiney in there _NOW_!"

Inu Yasha didn't even squeak in protest. Instead he practically dove through the door to be with his mate. Rina turned to follow, but her eyes locked briefly with Sessho Maru's. Rina longed to go to him, but she hardened her eyes and turned away before Sessho Maru could say a word. With an aching heart, Rina trudged inside the hut, bracing herself for long hours.

The sight that greeted Rina's face made her stomach turn a sick flop. But she clamped down. Her adoptive mother had been a midwife and had taught Rina so much. Rina had gotten to put it into practice several times during her 6 month captivity since a couple of the other female slaves had been pregnant as well as some of the nearby villagers. She could handle this. She'd seen much worse. But one thing was more than certain: Kagome wasn't in the slightest shape to travel to the well.

Sango was sitting helplessly, cradling Kagome's head in her lap and gripping her friend's hand as every few minutes Kagome's features would tighten as another contraction seized her swollen belly in its vice-like grip. Inu Yasha was kneeling next to Kagome just as helplessly, trying to soothe away Kagome's tears of pain; distress showing clearly on his face.

Rina felt herself calm as practiced habit took over. Kneeling by Kagome's feet, she gently parted her thighs so that she could see how Kagome's progress was. She gauged that Kagome was close to 7 centimeters dilated, but that didn't hold her attention as much as the pit in her stomach did when she found that she didn't feel the head but rather the baby's backside. _**Oh shit.**_

"Inu Yasha," she spoke in a clear, strong voice that even surprised her. "I need you to go back through the well and get some supplies for me." Giving him a list and making sure he understood what the items were, she told him to have Sessho Maru come in and help her. She needed his calm, clear-minded presense beside her.

Inu Yasha bounded out, his nervous energy adding to his already blinding speed. Then Sessho Maru was kneeling quietly next to her.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked quietly.

Water. "I need water to wash in. The baby is breach. It's turned around. I need to either try to turn it or get its feet down."

Sessho Maru brought water and Rina washed her hands and arms thoroughly and quickly. Every second counted now. Instructing Sessho Maru to sit up by Kagome's head and use his powers to deaden her pain as much as possible, Rina reached down to see if it would be possible to turn the baby. Judging that it wasn't, she sought the feet. It took some maneuvering, but she managed to get both feet down. A couple minutes later it was obvious that Kagome needed to push.

"Ok, Kagome. Lean up a bit and brace against Sango, OK?" Sango obediently helped Kagome in a sitting up position. "Alright, Kagome. Now, when this next contraction comes, I want you to push, ok? Sessho Maru, I need you to help her hold her legs up."

"Rina!" Kagome sobbed, completely spent. "I can't do this anymore! And where's Inu Yasha?"

"You can do it, Kagome. You must," Rina said firmly. "And Inu Yasha will return soon." She was cut off by the tensing of Kagome's body and the whimper that dredged from her throat. Sango tried to comfort Kagome by stroking her sweat-soaked ebony tendrils that clung to her forehead.

"Inu Yasha!" Kagome screamed, her mate's name becoming a drawn-out keening of pain.

"Push, Kagome, come on!" Rina encouraged. She began to count to time how long Kagome needed to push. "1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . 5 . . . 6 . . . 7 . . . 8 . . . 9 . . . 10,"

Kagome fell back exhaustedly against Sango after the count, but the contraction still strained at her womb.

"Come on, Kagome, one more good push before this contraction ends! Come on, you can do it," Rina encouraged her as she began to count again. She forced the tears of joy back as she watched the baby begin to emerge So close. So close.

The contraction ended, giving Kagome a much-needed breather while Sango mopped her forehead with a wet cloth.

Then Rina caught a familiar scent and huffed a sigh of relief. Inu Yasha bound into the room with Kagome's large old backpack, completely stuffed with the supplies and materials that Rina had asked for. He plopped the bag down and knealt next to an exhausted, weeping Kagome.

"You're just in time, Inu Yasha," Rina said calmly as she began taking out some clean towels and other things out of the bulky bag. No sooner had she said that then the evidence of another contraction began to take hold.

Looking down, she said, "Ok, Kagome. This is it."

Kagome, at hearing those words, leaned up, exhausted determination burning in her eyes. Rina gently grasped the baby's emerging body as Kagome bore down with all the strength that remained. She pulled gently yet firmly, supporting the infant's body as it came fully into the world in a baptism of water and blood.

Kagome, feeling the release, flopped back into Inu Yasha's arms as Rina began to work to clear the infant's airways and clean it up.

_**She has Inu ears!**_ Rina noticed, happy tears raining down her face. "You have a daughter," she announced to Inu Yasha and Kagome as the pup took in a breath and bellowed out a squall that shook its entire tiny body. Kagome and Inu Yasha laughed quietly at the miracle of the ear-piercing sound. Rina delivered the infant into the arms of the enthralled parents while Inu Yasha cut the cord and she set about delivering the afterbirth.

After making sure that the newborn was cleaned off and dressed warmly, Rina ordered everyone except Inu Yasha out so that the exhausted Kagome could get some much deserved rest. Rina was no more out the door of Kaede's hut when she began to walk toward the well; much to the confusion of Sessho Maru.

"Rina?" Sesso Maru questioned, confusion and a little anger peppering his voice. Yet, to his consternation, Rina did not stop. Did not turn around. _**Oh no you don't. I'm not letting you off that easy.**_

Rina could hear Sessho Maru coming after her. She could sense his growing anger. Yet she kept walking. Calmly. Easily. She did not run. Somehow that heightened Sessho Maru's ire and she was glad. She had kept herself pent up so much for too long and she longed for release. Even if it was of the explosive kind.

"Rina!" Sessho Maru's voice ground out as he caught up with her. Grasping her arm, he whirled her back around to face him. The tears that streamed down her cheeks were enough to stop his confused temper in its tracks. "Rina," he said softly. It was clear that she was exhausted and her lonliness had taken its own toll on her. While she had filled out to where she had been before she'd been kidnapped, her eyes contained a haunted quality that bespoke of how hard the past couple of months had been for her.

Any fight left in her streamed out her eyes in a river of exhaustion and pent-up stress when Sessho Maru grabbed her. He put a gentle hand on the side of her face to coax her to look at him. As she looked up, she brought up a hand to dash away the obstinant tears that had dared to betray her. Sessho Maru caught her hand by the wrist and clasped it gently for a moment. Bringing her palm to his lips, he kissed it tenderly, savoring her scent which was tainted with the saltiness of her tears. That sent a rending pain through his heart. Looking up, he saw her resistance falling, evidenced by the new tears that filled her emerald orbs and spilled over.

Sessho Maru released her arm and wrist to cradle her face lovingly in his hands, his fingers tracing her jawline like she was the most precious creature on earth. Bending ever so slightly, he brought his lips to her cheek to kiss away her tears. His tongue flicked out slightly as he did so, tasting the salty substance that swirled with her own unique flavor.

In the midst of the comfort and well-being she found in the solace of his arms, the unbidden, unwelcome remembrance came with the realization that this was only momentary respite. She'd been trying to get away so that it wouldn't be so hard tearing herself away from Sessho Maru, knowing that she'd have to return to her era and face more times of lonliness without knowing when this curse of lonliness would again be broken.

Time would move slowly as in a sensory deprivation chamber, running together until insanity took over at the despair of not knowing when light would once again touch the deprived and aching pupils. Like the tales of old France, that told of the unknown prisoner in the iron mask, her own iron mask was her lonliness and her Bastille was her seemingly endless future without Sessho Maru.

She gritted her teeth in despair and clung tighter to Sessho Maru for a moment before pulling away, all the while feeling like her heart was shattering all over again. If she stayed much longer, then she would never have the strength to leave. And no amount of strong will on Sessho Maru's part would make her.

"How is it that you've become so important to me in such a relatively short amount of time?" Rina murmered so softly that even Sessho Maru's youkai hearing had trouble picking up her words.

He drew back until his golden orbs could look into her ageless emerald ones. He couldn't bear the look of renewed misery that dulled the once-luminescent jeweled eyes.

"I cannot tell you how much I've missed you," he whispered to her softly.

Rina bit her lip to keep from weeping further, closing her eyes in a shielding manner. "Sessho Maru, don't," she pleaded softly. "It's already so hard for me to go back and leave you and you're just making it more difficult."

Sessho Maru couldn't help himself. He needed to taste her, to remind himself what heaven was like if only for a moment. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, then another to the lids of her eyes, down her jawline, until he framed her face with his palms to bring her mouth to his in a gentle yet soul-rending kiss. His arms tightened around her as she melted into him. He couldn't help but notice just how perfectly they fit together. Two halves of one whole, each lost without the other.

Rina gave a needy whimper as she flicked out her tongue to rim his bottom lip before he opened to her. Clasping her even tighter to him, they seemed to meld even more into just one being before they finally pulled away.

She tried to keep the sadness out of her eyes as she looked up at him. "Sessho Maru. If you don't stop kissing me, then I will never leave and you will never be able to make me."

Sessho Maru picked her up in his arms to cradle her against his chest before stepping up and into the well. He still possessed the Jewel shard that Inu Yasha and Kagome had given him all those months ago. He'd just been afraid to use it to come see her lest he again be followed and Rina put into danger.

But all that seemed so far away as his feet touched the bottom an instant before gracefully and smoothly launching them out of the well. His eyes never left hers.

He didn't even have to be told where she lived. He just knew. And his feet carried them there.

"Then let me come to you," he finally said softly to her, his eyes blazing with love for her. And desire. He needed her so badly.


	12. Chapter 11: Joining

**Warning: This chapter contains a lime/limes. If you don't know what that means: descriptive sexual content. If this offends, then skip past it or don't read. It's nothing too hardcore, but I don't want to hear anyone bitching at me and saying I didn't warn 'em.**

It wasn't long later that they reached the door of Rina's apartment. Sessho Maru didn't even have to touch the door. It just unlocked and opened according to his will. Carrying her across the threshold, he stepped inside and willed the door to shut.

Rina's heart was pounding madly. Aside from the time that she'd been raped, she'd never been with a man. And he was so much more than that. She knew that he would never hurt her. Yet she was afraid that maybe her trauma from what David had done to her would make her too afraid to even give herself to the one man she'd ever loved.

Sessho Maru could sense her fear, which was equaled by her desire. He would go as slowly and be as gentle with her as she needed for her to not be afraid. Laying her down on the bed, he laid beside her and took her into his arms. He gently stroked her face as he brought his mouth to hers.

"Rina," he said softly. She looked up at him, her eyes half-hooded and hazed. "Do you trust me?"

Rina nodded. "Yes."

"Do you love me?" he questioned.

This time her answer was breathless. "Yes, Sessho Maru. I love you very much."

"And you know that I'd never hurt you, right?" He waited for Rina's nod. "So if anything I do, anything at all, makes you uncomfortable, I want you to let me know. I can't enjoy it if you're uncomfortable. I want this to help erase everything bad that's ever happened to you. I want this to make it seem as though David never happened and is worlds away. Like he was just a name out of a bad dream. Let me wake you up from your bad dreams." He bent his head to her to capture her mouth in a kiss completely riddled with his passion, his love for her, his desire.

"I love you, Rina. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Sessho Maru," she gasped. She pressed herself closer to him, absolute trust in her eyes replaced any fear that there might have been.

Sessho Maru's hands began to explore her, skimming her arms, her legs. She gave a soft hiss of pleasure as his hand smoothly skimmed the soft, smooth skin of her belly, sending tingling shocks of pleasure through her that pooled warmly between her legs. Rina bit her lip when his palm cupped her breast gently, kneading it.

Sessho Maru took delight in her responses. Innocent and open. It was easy to tell what she liked and didn't. The room soon carried the scent of her desire. He breathed it in appreciatively. She smelled better than the sweetest flower. Her innocent scent intoxicated him. He trembled from wanting her, wanting to bury himself in her lush, luxurious flesh. But he held himself back.

Rina's back arched as his hand found its way under her shirt, pulling it up. He wanted to see her. He craved her. Lifting the upper garment away from her, he found his breath stolen away. She was softness personified. Endearingly plump, it added more beauty to her curves than he could have thought possible. Her breasts were perfect. He kneaded one in his palm again, relishing how perfectly they fit his hands. Not too small, not too big. Just right.

Lowering his head, he drew in the hard pebble of her nipple into his mouth, delighting in Rina's gasp of surprise and moan of pleasure. His tongue swirled around the fleshy bead before he gently drew his teeth over her sensitive flesh. While he laved one breast, he kneaded the other in his palm. Her breasts were absolutely decadent and he felt like he could feast on her for the rest of their lives and he would be forever satisfied.

Withdrawing just so that he could drink in her beauty, he realized then that he had indeed found what his stony heart had been missing and had been longing for. And he knew that he could never give her up. He wanted her to be his forever. And he wanted to be hers just as badly.

"Rina," his voice came huskily. Her eyes opened and looked at him dreamily. He lay back down beside her. "Rina," he whispered again. "I love you."

Her eyes flickered with emotion. Love. Joy. Her eyes welled with all of them. "I love you too, Sessho Maru," she murmured back. "I've loved you for so long."

"And I, you," he replied, his heart pounding with the full force of his happiness. She loved him! He still could barely process it. He had never thought to hope that anyone would ever love him like she did. Up until recently, it had been a foreign concept. Up until recently, love had been meaningless and useless. And yet somehow the gods thought to smile on him with the gift of Rina's love. It gave him the strange thought to do something juvenile such as run around like a lunatic going "She likes me! She likes me!"

"Rina, I must ask you something," he said softly.

She looked at him, puzzled yet expectant.

"I want you to be mine. And I want to be yours. Forever. I want to always know that, no matter where we are, that you are mine and that you're waiting for me and no one else."

Sessho Maru gave a shaky pause. He was afraid to ask, but he couldn't not ask. Not when his heart demanded it so fiercely.

"Rina. Will you be my mate?"

Rina's breath caught in her throat. Her tears spilled over as she realized just how much he loved her.

"Yes, Sessho," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Yes, I will."

Relief flooded Sessho Maru's features as the full weight of her acceptance came to rest on him. She said yes! He leaned down and captured her lips with his in a fierce, passionate kiss that stole the breath away from the both of them.

Fear had left her. Completely. They could both feel it now.

Moaning in unison, their hands roved each other's bodies. Rina growled at the realization that, while her shirt was off and Sessho Maru was well on his way to doing the same to her pants, he was still fully clothed.

Bringing a hand up to his face, Rina tilted his head so that he'd meet her gaze. Her hands undid his belt and opened the top of his robe, exposing his powerful, muscular chest. Sessho Maru drew his arms out of his robe so that he could wrap them around Rina. Gods, but it was so unbelievable that he was finally holding her. He drew her against him so that he could feel her. She could feel his arousal next to her hip.

"Sessho Maru," she whispered softly. He drew back to gaze into her endless eyes. The eyes that had captivated him all the way across the beach the first day that he saw her. Relished in the sound of her voice. The voice that had called him from across the sands like a siren's enchanting song.

"Make love to me, Sessho Maru."

Those words alone were enough to set fire to Sessho Maru's already-burning body. He found the button to her jeans and slid them off of her with her help. Laying her back against the bed, he laid between her thighs.

Rina relished the feel of his weight pressing her down. Her heart thrummed deafeningly, but not from fear. No. She welcomed him now without the slightest remaining taint on her soul from David.

He reached down between their bodies to find the very core of her, circling her nub with his thumb, causing Rina to gasp and arch with pleasure. She gave a cry of delight when he slid a finger inside of her, arousing her more and more. There was no pain. Then he slipped in a second. She went nearly wild with primal delight, arching and rubbing herself needfully against the pleasure that his fingers wrung from her. She heard Sessho Maru's deep chuckle of delight at her wanton response.

He withdrew his fingers and traced it around her breasts, leaving a trail of her moisture behind. Oh, she was ready for him. Her body was practically weeping for being deprived of him much longer.

Rina's eyes locked with his. Pleading. Begging. She reached down to grasp him.

"Rina, don't," Sessho Maru gasped painfully. If she touched him, he would shatter, so great was his desire for her. His need for her. He looked down into her puzzled eyes and kissed her. "You undo me with your very touch. I want to make this last as long as possible."

Rina smiled softly. He lowered his head to her breasts again and began to practically devour her. Rina's back arched as he explored her entire body with the skillful magic of his mouth. When he nudged her thighs apart and took her into his mouth, Rina threw her head back and cried out in delight. Unable to control herself, her hands grasped fistfuls of his snowy hair, holding him to her as his tongue delved and swirled around her entrance. Her body felt positively on fire, she thought she was going to explode.

And when her release found her, she screamed from the force of it. Still Sessho Maru didn't stop in his delicious torture of her. He licked and nipped, wringing out of her every bit of passion that he could until she cried out for him to have mercy on her.

Unable to bear the wait any longer, he rose to his hands and knees to bring himself flush to her, laying himself down again between her thighs. He sighed with contentment at the way her body cradled his. She fit him so unbelievably perfectly.

"Do you accept me?" he asked hoarsely, beginning the mating ritual.

Rina didn't even hesitate. "Yes," she whispered breathily.

"Then I, Lord Sessho Maru, Lord of the Western Lands, take you, Rina, to be my mate. My blood will become your blood, my flesh your flesh. I will protect you and love you forever and you will eternally be in my heart, for you are my heart."

Rina then found herself speaking the mating vows. Previously unknown to her, they suddenly were spilling from her lips after Sessho Maru spoke his vows to her. "I, Rina, take you, Lord Sessho Maru, to be my mate forever more. My blood will become your blood, my flesh your flesh. I will protect you, and comfort you, and love you forever and you will eternally be in my heart, for you are my heart."

They then sealed their vows by saying in unison, "May none who be against us ever tear us apart, for together we will never be defeated, so strong is our love."

Then she felt him at the junction of her body. Her breathing quickened. She gasped as he entered her, sliding into her gently and slowly. There was no pain. She felt him stretching and filling her and it filled her with unspeakable joy and delight. But there was no pain. Looking up into his golden gaze, she felt her love for him swell to near overflowing.

"Are you alright?" Sessho Maru asked.

"Yes," Rina answered breathlessly. "Gods, yes." Wrapping her ankles around his waist, she wriggled her hips slightly, drawing him into her deeper still.

Sessho Maru gave a deep-throated moan at her movements. He couldn't bear it any longer. He had to move!

Drawing back, he pressed back into her. Again and again. A rolling, gentle rhythm. Grinding into her just right. Her response was breathtaking. Her head was tipped back in breathless ecstasy and her hips moved in time with his. They were one. At last.

Rina moaned when Sessho Maru began to quicken the pace. She growled in delight when he grasped her wrists and held them above her head, looking deeply into her eyes.

She felt the pleasure building. Soon her eyes were screwed shut as she drew nearer and nearer her peak. Breathless whimpers dredged from her throat. "Sessho," she whimpered, desperation tinging her voice.

"Rina, look at me," he gently commanded. "I want to see you."

She forced her eyes open. She could tell that he was close too. But the love that she saw in his amber gaze...gods, how intense. Not only did he fill her body, but he completely overflowed her heart. He was hers forever. He was her mate.

Sessho Maru ground into her harder and harder. Rina drew in a gasping breath as she found her peak and went sailing over it. She cried out his name as she shattered, convulsing in his arms, her body clutching his tightly. The feel of her inner muscles clutching him brought Sessho Maru to join her in paradise.

As they convulsed in their release, Sessho Maru rolled them over so that she was on top of him. Sitting them up, he felt his fangs drawing down. Pulling Rina to him, he sank his fangs deep into her neck. Rina gasped, startled. But that immediately gave way to an earth-shattering pleasure that she could never have imagined, and she felt her body clutching Sessho Maru as she cried out in orgasm again. And when Sessho Maru bit her, it caused her own fangs to descend. As she convulsed in his arms, she sank her fangs into his shoulder. She barely heard Sessho Maru's own cry of ecstasy. All she could hear was the roaring in her ears of their heartbeats synchronizing. She felt her fangs withdraw at the same time that Sessho Maru did and then she was aware of him thrusting wildly inside her, all control shattered. They came together again, each calling the other's name and clinging together so tightly before they finally collapsed together.

They lay there in the aftermath, still joined, sated and weak. She looked dreamily up at Sessho Maru and brushed some of his damp silver hair back from his forehead so that she could caress and trace the crescent moon mark there. She felt him lick and kiss the blood off her neck. The wounds had already healed. All that was left behind were tiny scars--scars that were a sign to all others that she was a mated woman. Sessho Maru bore the scars as well. So that's what the vows had spoken of. And she had seen such scars on Inu Yasha and Kagome.

"You're mine now, Rina," Sessho Maru whispered to her. "Anyone who seeks to harm you threatens me. You carry my scent, so now all youkai know that you are my mate. And there isn't a one alive that doesn't know the smell of Lord Sessho Maru. That alone will ensure your safety as very few demons can keep from running away at the very evidence of me. And I will defend you from those stupid enough not to do so. And Inu Yasha will also defend you as I have defended his mate."

Rina looked up at him hopefully. "Does this mean that I can come home with you?"

Sessho Maru nodded. There was no way in any of the 7 hells that he could bear to part with her now. They would still find Hinkotsu and ensure that he would no longer be a threat to Rina. But he would not leave her here anymore. "Yes, Rina. We don't have to be apart any longer."

Relief shone in Rina's face as she buried her face in Sessho Maru's chest.

Sessho Maru took off the Jewel shard from his neck and placed it around hers. "Now you can either come back any time you want or you can come back with Kagome. But this way you are not completely cut off from this world."

"I love you," whispered Rina.

"I love you too, Firefly," he murmured in her hair as they both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Sessho Maru awoke the next morning to an empty bed. His heart gave a fearful bump before he heard the sounds of a radio (he knew of these because of Sota) and Rina singing in the kitchen and the wonderful smells of breakfast cooking.

Getting out of bed, he wrapped the sheet around his waist and opened the door to the bedroom. His body almost instantly hardened at the sight of her in a long shirt that barely reached below her bare buttocks. Her long hair fell to just above her backside, tied back in a ponytail with a tie. She was frying bacon on the stove. A tall stack of pancakes were on the table.

Rina was dancing a little bit to the music blaring from the radio. Her hips swayed in a hypnotic rhythm that had Sessho Maru's mouth going dry. Let's just say that the sheet was no longer being held up by just his hands. He watched her move some bacon strips that were done onto a plate so that she could fry up some more. She placed a piece of cooked bacon in her mouth, all the while bopping away happily to the music.

"But he's irresistible, up close and personal! Now inescapable where I can hardly breathe! More than just physical, deeper than spiritual! His ways are powerful! Irresistible to me!" Rina belted along to Jessica Simpson after she swallowed the bacon bite.

Sessho Maru's eyes glowed contentedly as he watched her before he finally padded up softly behind her to wrap his arms around her waist. She gave a small start of surprise before leaning back against his chest. Looking up at him, she held up a piece of bacon for him. "Good morning, m'love," she greeted him happily.

"Good morning," his silken voice answered, betraying the relief he felt at seeing her.

Rina frowned. Now that she was mated to Sessho Maru, she was connected to him in every way. She felt what he felt. Their joining had allowed them to see each other's every memory, even the ones they themselves didn't remember. And she saw that he'd been afraid when he'd awakened.

"What's wrong, my love?" she asked him gently. "What frightened Sessho Maru this morning?"

Sessho Maru scowled. He never liked admitting that he was ever afraid. But he could not deny her an answer.

"I woke up this morning without you beside me," he said, feeling like the world's most idiotic pup.

"And you were afraid that it was all just a dream or that I'd abandoned you?" Rina finished for him gently.

The meek, embarrassed look on Sessho Maru's face was one of the most endearing that Rina had ever seen.

"I will always be here when you need me, Sessho," Rina said softly before planting a comforting kiss on his lips. Her eyes flew open as she felt a particular bulge further down south.

Sessho Maru's eyes glowed.

Rina giggled shyly. "Um..Breakfast's done. You hungry?"

"Oh yes," Sessho Maru growled playfully in her ear. "Famished. Ravenous." He nipped at her earlobe, sending shivers coursing up and down Rina's spine. Rina hissed with pleasure.

"I take it that you don't mean for pancakes and bacon?" she questioned.

The hungry, needy glow in Sessho Maru's eyes told her the answer. She playfully backed away as he started toward her. She gave a high-pitched girly squeal as she tried to run but Sessho Maru caught her up in his arms and stalked toward the bedroom. She had a feeling that the pancakes and bacon would be long-since cold before he was done with her.

* * *

Rina and Sessho Maru gave simultaneous sighs of contentment as Rina snuggled into Sessho Maru's arms after round..._**How many was that? 6? 7?**_ Rina wondered. She was just about to doze off when she heard a noise.

Both she and Sessho Maru tensed as they heard the front door to the apartment open. Rina caught the intruder's scent.

"It's Kuri," she hissed. No sooner were the words out of her mouth, then the door to the bedroom banged open.

"Rina! Was just coming to tell you--aaaaaaaaaah!" Kuri shrieked as she beheld both Rina and Sessho Maru completely stark naked.

They dived for covers to regain their modesty, but Kuri had already sailed out of the room, hollering exaggerated curses in Japanese, bellowing that she would forever be blind just from the memory of seeing the two of them naked.

Rina and Sessho Maru, fully dressed, came out into the living room to find Kuri digging in Rina's freezer for the bottle of vodka.

"Kuri, what are you doing?" Rina asked

"I'm trying to drown away that image," retorted the agitated Kuri.

"No, I mean, what are you doing here?"

"I was just coming to tell you that the gig tonight is off. Ryuko is sick. Who the hell is that?"

"Kuri, I'd like you to meet Sessho Maru."

Kuri gaped. "THE Sessho Maru?" she yelped. "The one that you've been pining over for the past nearly 3 months?"

"The one and the same," Rina confirmed.

Kuri looked at Rina closely. "You look different. I mean, I don't know. But something about you is different."

"Well," Rina said hesitantly. "There's something I have to tell you, Kuri."

Kuri held the bottle poised to her lips but didn't drink when Rina said that. Lowering the bottle she said, "What? Tell me what?"

"Well, Sessho Maru asked me to be his mate last night."

Kuri looked at her blankly. "Ok?"

"I'm Sessho Maru's mate now," Rina said softly, hoping that her best friend didn't go too psycho over the news.

"Wait--wait a minute," Kuri blubbered. "You mean to tell me that now you are the mate of a Feudal Era demon? That you have to go back to his time now?"

"I can come back any time I want to," Rina said hastily, trying to ease Kuri's rising ire.

Kuri paused. Then she grinned hugely. "Congratulations! I hope that you two are very happy together!"

Roughly pulling Sessho Maru into a hug she said to him cheerfully,"You ever break her heart again and I will break every bone in your body, I don't care that you are a demon. Ok?"

Rina could almost see the sweat drop on Sessho Maru's face.

"Um. Yeah." Sessho Maru seemed completely without knowing how to handle the rambunctious Kuri.

Kuri sailed cheerfully out the door a couple minutes later, leaving both Rina and Sessho Maru wondering what the hell hit them.

* * *

A couple hours later, Rina locked up her apartment. It didn't take long to get back to the well. By the time the sun went down, they were on their way back to the village


	13. Chapter 12: Returns and Fears

They were almost to the village when Inu Yasha came out ot greet them, followed by Miroku, Sango, and Jaken.

"When are you two going to stop doing that!" Inu Yasha bellowed. "Jeez! We were worried about you guys! When are you two going to--" he stopped in the middle of his tirade to sniff. A stunned look crossed his face. "Oh!" was the only thing that he could think of to say.

"What?" Miroku asked, confusion on his face.

"They're mated," Inu Yasha answered, his voice still carrying that stunned tone.

"Really!" squealed Sango. "Does this mean that Rina doesn't have to stay away anymore?"

Sessho Maru nodded. "Now that she carries my scent, she would be far safer close to me where I can protect her rather than far away where protecting her would be much harder."

"What about Hinkotsu?" Inu Yasha questioned. "He's one of the few demons who doesn't fear you, Sessho Maru, and now I know it would be his sadistic pleasure to murder Rina as painfully as possible right before your eyes."

"Rina has youkai powers of her own," Sessho Maru answered. "Some that she's already mastered, such as her speed, and others that she hasn't even begun to tap. I will teach her how to use her powers. Now that we are mated, our powers boost the other, so now she is even more powerful. I have no doubt that she could even transform.

"In other words, we shall still look for Hinkotsu. But she will be ready for him should the time come for her to face him and should she have to defend and fight for herself."

Inu Yasha nodded. "Sounds reasonable to me. I see you gave her your Jewel shard."

Sessho Maru nodded. "She knows that it is not to be used for power, but rather to get back to her own time if she wants to. Also, if the need arises, you could say that it's her emergency exit."

"Alright," Inu Yasha conceded.

"How is Kagome and the baby doing?" Rina asked anxiously.

Inu Yasha beamed at the question. "They are both doing really well," he said proudly. "Little Kit has already grown some hair. Her hair's black, like Kagome's." He started off toward the village. "Come on and I'll show you."

Kaede and Shippo were watching over Kagome and the baby. Kagome's eyes lit up at the sight of Rina and Sessho Maru. "There you two are! I was wondering! Rina, I never got to thank you for helping me yesterday with the birthing!"

Rina grinned at Kagome happily. "I'm just so glad that the two of you are doing so good," she replied.

Kagome opened the little blanket to reveal the top of the baby's head. Sure enough, black fuzz had already started to cover the baby's head and cute little Inu ears.

"She's so adorable," Rina said softly, hearing the wistful tint to her voice. She'd never really thought about having children before. She'd always wanted children, but hadn't really let herself ever think about it much. But now that she was mated to Sessho Maru, it hit her like a ton of bricks that children were a very real possibility.

_**In fact**_, she thought. _**I could be pregnant just from that marathon we had earlier today.**_ The thought sent nervous butterflies fluttering through her belly. But she pushed the thought out of her head. It would be too dangerous right now to be with child. That could only increase Hinkotsu's leverage over Sessho Maru if and when the confrontation with him ever came. Still...

Rina could see that Kagome was still tired, so she decided to say goodnight.

Leaving the hut, she saw Sessho Maru and Inu Yasha speaking quietly. She hadn't heard him leave the hut while she was in there with Kagome. But then, her mind had been elsewhere, so it didn't surprise her much.

As she watched the brothers speak, full realization came upon her. The full impact of the extreme changes her life had taken. It's not like she'd ever really wanted a normal life. But she couldn't help but feel a bit of fear at the unfamiliar road her life was going down. Was she really strong enough for this? Was she really ready to leave so much of her previous life behind? Oh yes, she could go back whenever she wanted, but that wasn't the same. And yet...

She looked again at Sessho Maru and felt a new wave of peace wash over her. What good was a normal life if it was devoid of the one she loved? She'd gone almost 3 months without him, living her so-called "normal" life, trying to further her dream of becoming successful as a singer. But none of it had given her in 3 months what Sessho Maru had given her in bare moments. Singing had filled her life for a time and had left her contented and feeling accomplished. But now Sessho Maru was the focus of her heart.

She smiled. Yes. This was right. Everything would be alright. Not easy, that was for certain. But then, the best things in life were hardly ever easy.

Sessho Maru parted from his conversation with Inu Yasha and walked toward her.

"The way I see it, we have 2 choices. Either we can stay here in the empty hut over there and be here to help Inu Yasha protect Kagome and Kit as well as the village. Or we can assume that Hinkotsu would only be after you and thus draw him away from the village by going to live in our castle. What is your opinion on this, my love?" he asked her gently.

"Well," Rina reasoned. "I think that we should stay here for now. If Hinkotsu comes, I can always carry Kagome and Kit to the well and take them back to our time. They would be safe there. If we weren't here, then Inu Yasha wouldn't be able to do that and Kagome could be in even more danger."

"Very wise thinking," Sessho Maru said approvingly. He picked her up in his arms and carried her toward the empty hut.

Once inside, he sank down on the floor with her and cradled her lovingly in his arms. "Are you alright, Rina? You seemed troubled a few minutes ago when I was talking with Inu Yasha."

Rina shrugged. "Just a momentary case of the blues," she assured him.

He tipped her head back to look into her eyes. Gods, but he could stare into her emerald depths and live out his days most happily. And the thought of seeing sadness in those unearthly eyes was unbearable to him. "You don't regret mating with me, do you?" he asked her.

Rina shook her head adamantly. "Not even the slightest. I guess it was momentary sadness and fear at how much my life has changed and so quickly." She locked her gaze forcefully with his, desperate to assure him that she could not live without him. "But my life would not be nearly as rich and worthwhile without you, Sessho. I don't care what happens, I will always be yours and I will never regret it for a moment."

Sessho Maru smiled at her assurance. "What thought frightened you?"

Rina tipped her head thoughtfully. "I guess it was a slight fear of..." she paused, trying to figure out how to word it. "I'm just afraid of ever losing you," she finally managed to say. "Most everyone I've ever loved has died. My parents. My adoptive parents. Even my first crush. You and Kuri are the only ones who haven't. And I'm just terrified that someday something might happen to you. I don't know what I would do if that happened."

Sessho Maru listened to Rina seriously. He understood. He couldn't blame her. "Know this, Rina. I will forever love you. My love for you is so strong that, even if anything should happen to me, I will still always be with you."

Rina nodded, trying to swallow the lump that formed in her throat. The thought of Sessho Maru dying was unbearable. Beyond unbearable. An odd question came into her mind.

"May I ask you something, my love?"

"Anything, heart," Sessho Maru replied.

"If the Tenseiga could ever be restored, are you the only one who can wield it?"

"You can too," Sessho Maru replied. "Before we became mates, yes I was the only one who could wield it. But in your hands, the Tenseiga would recognize me in you and would allow you to wield it.

"Why do you ask, my love?"

Rina shook her head. "I don't rightly know. It was just a question that came to mind. I guess it's good to know."

Sessho Maru shook his head. "Don't count on it. I've searched everywhere for the Tenseiga's maker. Used to be that I could track him down with ease. I'd done it more than once while I tried to force him to make me a sword that equaled the Tetsusaiga in destructive power. But I've not been able to find him anywhere the one moment that I truly did need him."

Rina's eyes lowered. "I'm sorry, Sessho."

"Don't fret yourself about it, dear one." He laid her back on their pallet as he slipped her shirt off over her head. Gods, but he couldn't get enough of her! Dipping his head down to flick his tongue over the sensitive hollow of her throat, he took pleasure and pride in her soft moan.

"How is it that you can make me so crazy for you where I just cannot take you enough?"

Her hungry gaze met his. "I don't know, but I hope that you'll alway be like this," she replied huskily, pulling him over her into her arms.

They spent their night in feverish, insatiable need. All the while Rina couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to enjoy this while she could.

Hours later, they finally collapsed from exhaustion. Rina was sore in areas she didn't know it was possible to be sore in. Every muscle in her body trembled from exertion. But it was easy to ignore for the pleasurable hum in her body, singing of its satisfaction and well-being.

"Sessho Maru?" she asked softly. "What will we do if I become pregnant?"

Sessho Maru had not even thought about that. Truth be told, the thought of her growing large with his children warmed him. But he knew what she was asking. She was afraid of Hinkotsu.

"I don't know, my love. Chances are I'd probably go off to find Hinkotsu on my own to try and make sure that he could not come and threaten you and our unborn child. But that is not certain."

He tightened his arms around her. "We will figure that out if we are faced with it. Until then, shall we start with your training tomorrow?"

Rina nodded. "I'd like that."

They fell asleep blissfully exhausted in each other's arms.

_They were fighting an unbelievable foe. Enormous. Powerful. It was Lord Hinkotsu. He had Rina in his claws, ready to kill her in front of Sessho Maru, who was just as massive as the bear in his full demon form. _

_Hinkotsu made a move as to bite her, 'causing the enormous dog, Sessho Maru, to lunge to try and save her. Instead, she was flung like a rag doll while the bear pinned down the dog and sank his fangs into her beloved's throat._

Sessho Maru came awake abruptly to the sound of a scream. His eyes flickered sleepily, not recognizing the voice.

"SESSHO!" came the scream again, intermingled with a sob of grief.

He bolted upright at the blood-curdling sound. Her voice was not normal. Her screams had the underlying tone of a wild cat. He looked down to see Rina thrashing violently in the throes of an equally violent nightmare. Her chest and sides heaved as she sobbed as though her heart were breaking.

Sessho Maru shook Rina's trembling shoulders, trying to help her escape her sleeping prison.

Rina came awake with another scream as she sat up, thrashing blindly, accidentally catching Sessho Maru across the face. Hardly feeling the blow, Sessho Maru practically tackled her, pinning her wrists, holding her writhing body down until her disoriented eyes began to focus.

Her breathing was still ragged. Her face was soaked with tears. She was trembling violently. But as her eyes came to focus on Sessho Maru's face, all the tension flowed out of her in ribbons of relief.

"Rina, are you alright?" Sessho Maru asked, his voice thick with concern and fear for her. "It was just a dream, my love."

Rina's eyes filled as the horror flashed before her eyes. "Oh, Sessho. You died," she whimpered, near hysteria again, her eyes haunted and terrified. "He killed you and I watched you die," she continued to babble.

Sessho Maru released her and drew her into his arms, trying to soothe away the chill that the nightmare had left behind. "Shhhh, love. I'm here. It's alright."

Sessho Maru had never really comforted someone before, and yet it was natural to do it for her.

He soothed her until she fell back to sleep, but he refused sleep for himself. He wanted to stay awake to watch over her lest she have another nightmare. Besides, he didn't think he'd be able to sleep even if he wanted to. The sound of her voice when she screamed haunted him. Gave him chills. He hoped he would never have to hear her sound like that again.


	14. Chapter 13: Thoughtless

The next 3 months flew by at an amazing rate. Rina was a fast learner with Sessho Maru as her teacher. Efficient, Sessho Maru brought out powers in Rina that she didn't even think was possible. And as she got better in practice, they frequently went out on demon hunts to further her skills. After all, experience is the best teacher.

By the time that the one-year anniversary of their meeting arrived, Rina could wield power bolts, forming them into whatever weapon she wished, though she usually preferred either a sword or a whip. Her reflexes became honed to the point where it was almost like she could see even the most surprising attack minutes before it happened. If she thought herself fast before, then her speed now was blinding. She had mental powers of telepathy and telekinesis. And she could transform. She hadn't completely mastered transforming, but she knew that it could be done. And, per caution from Sessho Maru, she didn't try to very much. He warned her that transforming was exhausting, especially when one wasn't very experienced with it, and could sap much-needed energy needed for a battle.

"Only transform if you absolutely have to."

Rina still went back to her time frequently to perform with Kuri and the others and Sessho Maru loved going to watch. He often sat in on their practice sessions, listening to new music take life into raw, heart-pounding rhythms. The people in the band seemed to like him. They often joked around with him, sometimes at his expense. Rina assured him that they only did that with people they liked.

"They love to give people hell," she explained. "And when they poke fun at you, the completely expect you to give them shit right back."

So, by and by, Sessho Maru relaxed around them and now his sharp wit with them could leave lesser people raw and bleeding. But they always laughed hysterically when he joined them in their barbing sessions. Both Sessho Maru and Rina were quite pleased at the caustic sense of humor that neither knew that he had.

And every night that they performed, he always sat at the table that he'd sat at the first night that he'd watched them perform. His pride in Rina grew daily as well as the warming fact that she belonged to him. She loved him, and that was something that he would never get used to. Never take for granted.

And gods, her voice. After long days of training and hunting, never-ending worry of how it would go when they faced Hinkotsu, her voice could melt away an entire week of cares. Her voice always filled him with joy and longing for her.

_Under Shadows _had just finished practice. Kuri and the others were heading off for the night since Rina had offered to tidy up their practice space. Rina listened to the door close and the cars start and drive away while she began the process of tidying up. Yet it was all she could do to keep her hands from shaking.

Her body had been humming for him the entire evening. And it didn't help that he chose tonight to start playing around with their mental connection. Though he had been sitting well away from her towards the back of the room, Rina kept feeling sensations that felt as though he were right there, right behind her, mischievously reaching his hand down the front of her pants to caress her lovingly between her legs. It had all Rina could do to keep from moaning in pleasure. But, though she managed to hide it well from the rest of the band, she knew that Sessho Maru could see and sense her response.

Rina hadn't been about to let him get away with that without some form of retribution, so she began doing it back to him. She'd create vivid mental images of the both of them in her mind and project them and the sensations to Sessho Maru. She knew that she had really gotten him when, while practicing a cover of Celine Dion's "If Walls Could Talk", she projected to him an image of him tied to her bed, blindfolded. Teasing and torturing him until he was driven out of his mind with need before impaling herself on him. Even as she imagined this, she could feel him as though it were actually happening. She could feel him inside her as she, in her mind, rode him slow and easy until he begged her to fuck his brains out. Glancing at him at the back of the room, she saw him squirming with the discomfort of the arousal she gave him. She already knew that she was soaking her own drawers in the process. And when his eyes had met hers, his golden gaze had heated up to the point of nearly spitting sparks.

She had giggled inwardly. _**Oh, I am in such big trouble**_, she thought evilly.

And indeed she was, for now, as she was in the middle of innocently straightening up the practice room, she caught a glance of the tortured Sessho Maru out of the corner of her eye. And he was stalking up to her quite purposefully.

She gasped when he grabbed her to him roughly, picking her up so that she was at eye-level with him before dragging her head to his so that he could seize her mouth in a kiss that was positively starving. He slammed her violently into the nearest wall, nearly knocking the breath out of her lungs, all the while devouring her. Pinning her there with the strength of his body, he grabbed one of her hands and put it on the bulge in his pants.

Sessho Maru moaned at the feel of her fist gripping his erection while he probed the center of her body through her jeans.

"That is what you have done to me," he said in a voice that was hoarse with desperation. He had to have her. Now. It couldn't possibly wait until they got home.

Rina's eyes glinted mischievously. "You started it, m'lord," she teased.

He growled as he kissed her on the lips. "And you effectively have finished me. You have shredded every ounce of self restraint that I've ever been gifted with."

Rina crowed inwardly to see her mate so desperate to take her. She laughed as he practically shredded her jeans from her body, even as she scolded him. "Hey, that's one of my favorite pairs!"

"I'll fix them later," he swore raggedly. Drawing down his own jeans just enough, he pinned her back up against the wall and plunged into her, eliciting a cry of ecstatic delight from Rina.

Hooking her legs over the crook of his arms to support her weight, he pounded himself into her at a furious speed that left the both of them breathless and gasping. Rina cried out as she felt her climax building. She wasn't ready to come. Not yet.

Snarling like the tigress that she was, she forcefully broke his hold on her and leaped up just enough to where she could rebound and tackle him to the ground. They rolled until she had successfully pinned him to the ground. Sessho Maru strained against her, snarling, but she held her ground until she could lift herself up and impale herself onto him. Just as she had done in her little daydream from earlier in the evening. They both gasped in unison as she took control of their pleasure. Rina rolled her hips into him wildly, the white lights starting to build up behind her closed eyes. Sessho Maru sat up with her still straddling his lap to clamp his arms tightly around her slender, muscular waist, meeting each of her thrusts with his own.

They came together in a brilliant wave. Rina screamed his name as Sessho Maru roared at the height of his pleasure.

They collapsed together onto the cold concrete floor, each breathing heavily in the aftermath.

"Well, Firefly," Sessho Maru spoke at last, breathing heavily between each word, "You've proven me right."

"About what, my love?" Rina asked as she cuddled into his sweat-soaked chest.

"About what ran through my mind the first time I ever saw you. Ever talked to you. In fact, it was something that ran through my mind right after you punched me and walked off."

Rina couldn't keep back a giggle at the memory. "What ran through your mind, love?" she purred.

"Right after you walked off, I found myself thinking that I couldn't think of a single sparring partner more worthy and challenging than you."

Rina grinned. "Yeah?"

"Yes. And not just in the training ring," he growled playfully, already growing hard for her again.

Her eyes flared with playful mischief. "Oh? Where else?"

Sessho Maru rolled back onto her and plunged in, causing her to gasp in the way that always made him melt for her. Nibbling her neck as he began to thrust into her, he whispered into her ear: "Guess."

* * *

One night, he was listening to _Under Shadows_ singing "I Must Be Dreaming" by Evanescence when he felt a tremor from Rina and heard her voice falter.

He looked up at her to see where her gaze was directed. He followed her gaze easily to a man across the room. Looking back up at her, he could see the unease in her eyes, feel her sudden longing to just get away. He looked back at the man. He wasn't Japanese, but he was with a few Japanese people that he seemed to know well. He was talking with them and pointing at Rina. Looking back at Rina and then back at this man that she seemed afraid of, all of a sudden Sessho Maru knew who this man was.

His lip curled back in a rabid snarl.

David.

_**This is the coward who hurt my Rina and he DARES show his face here!**_

Rina saw Sessho Maru look at her and then at David several times. She was trembling with fear. Both of David and of what Sessho Maru would do if he figured it out. _**He will**_, she knew. _**Sessho Maru isn't stupid.**_

Sure enough. She saw his lip draw up over his fangs in a rabid, deadly snarl and saw his eyes begin to turn red.

_**Sessho Maru! Please! Not here! Please!**_ she pleaded to him.

He looked at her, his eyes returning to normal. He seemed confused. She knew that he didn't understand why he couldn't just dust the bastard right here. She relaxed a bit when she saw him stand down.

_**I don't even know why I'm afraid of him now. I could make David piss his pants just by looking at him cross-eyed, **_she thought bitterly.

Still, she knew. Just the sight of him was enough to make her relive all over again the night that he raped her. The physical pain. The agony of being so helpless.

The song ended, much to her relief, and she departed the stage with the rest of the band. Luckily, that had been their last song for the night.

Kuri was snarling rabidly. "Was that who I think it was!" she screeched when they all got back to the dressing rooms.

Rina looked positively green. "Yeah. That was David."

"I'm gonna kill that sonofabitch!" Kuri raged. "How dare he come back here and stand where you are thinking that the past is forgotten!"

"Kuri, I've got to go home," Rina said. "Just standing in the same building as him makes me feel filthy all over again."

"Ok. You be careful, hon," Kuri said sympathetically. "We'll see you at band practice in a couple weeks, ok? Enjoy your time off."

"Yeah. See ya," Rina said as she hastily exited the back door. She would meet Sessho Maru out front.

_Thumbing through the pages of my fantasies_

_Pushing all the mercy down, down, down._

She should have known better than to let her stress get to her, allowing it to make her blind rather than on guard, as she should have been. She slammed hard into somebody, a startled cry leaving her lips.

"Hello, Rina," came a sickeningly familiar voice.

Her lips drew back in a snarl. "You!" she cried angrily. "How dare you think that you can even approach me after what you've done!"

_Let's see you try to take a swing at me_

_Come on, gonna put you on the ground, ground, ground_

"Oh please, babe," David leered back at her. "You were begging for me the entire time. You think I didn't know it? Considering how you kissed me that night? You enjoyed every minute of it."

_Why are you trying to make fun of me!_

_You think it's funny, what the fuck you think it's doin' to me_

_You take your turn lashing out at me_

_I want you crying when you're bloody down in front of me_

A strangled cry of rage tore from Rina's throat. "Get away from me! You are vile and the mere sight of you makes me ill!"

"Aw, Rina," he laughed cruelly at her. "I thought that we could catch up. You know, give you what you've been missing since that night."

Rina backed away, snarling loudly and rabidly, her fear and anger and hate filling and overflowing her.

_All of my hate cannot be bound_

_I will not be drowned by your thoughtless scheming_

_So, you can try to tear me down_

_Beat me to the ground_

_I will see you screaming_

Suddenly David's eyes widened in fear as he looked at her.

Rina's eyes had turned completely blood-red and her fangs descended menacingly. Her claws grew and flashed threateningly in the moonlight.

_Thumbing through the pages of my fantasies_

_I'm above you smiling at you drown, drown, drown._

"Wha--what are you?" David cried in a strangled voice. He pulled out a large knife and slashed it defensively in front of him. Rina stepped easily away from it.

"Something that you should never have fucked with," her voice roared, but it hardly sounded like her. She sounded--well--demonic. Her voice was underlined by the fierce yowl of an _extremely_ pissed off cat. A tigress that thirsted for the blood of him who had harmed her and shamed her.

_I wanna kill and rape you the way you raped me_

_I'll pull the trigger and you're down, down, down_

David back-pedaled sharply, only to smack into Sessho Maru's hard form. Wheeling about, David got an unobstructed view of Sessho Maru's rising fury. Sessho Maru's eyes were just as red as Rina's, his fangs just as menacing, his claws just as deadly. His claws were practically spitting their venom at David of their own volition, so hot did Sessho Maru's rage emanate from him.

_Why are you trying to make fun of me_

_You think it's funny, what the fuck you think it's doing to me_

_You take your turn lashing out at me_

_I want you crying when you're bloody down in front of me_

David opened his mouth to scream, but Rina snatched out to cover his mouth. Her claws dug into the flesh of his face as she longed to just squeeze his head to a pulp.

"How many, David?" she growled into his face. "How many have you hurt? I know that I'm not the first that you've violated." She gave him a harsh shake. "Am I!"

_All of my hate cannot be bound_

_I will not be drowned by your thoughtless scheming_

_So, you can try to tear me down_

_Beat me to the ground, I will see you screaming!_

"No," came David's hoarse answer.

_All my friends are gone, they died_

_They all screamed and cried_

Rina's teeth bared at that. "I should have known what you were when I first saw you. I should have recognized the signs."

_Gonna take you down!_

David whimpered with terror at Rina's wrath. His fear intermingled with the urine and waste that now stained his jeans. "Please don't hurt me!" he bawled hysterically

_Gonna take you down!_

Sessho Maru snarled in response. "And why should she have mercy on you? Why should I have mercy on you? You are nothing but a coward. A pathetic fool. A living rot on humanity and the face of the entire earth. Only scum like you force themselves on a woman."

_Gonna take you down!_

"I should kill you for what you did to my mate," Sessho Maru continued. "I should let her kill you for her own gratification and the knowing that there is one less of you to prowl around looking for someone to hurt."

_Gonna take you down!_

"Please!" David sobbed. "I swear that I won't ever hurt nobody ever again! Please!"

_All of my hate cannot be bound_

_I will not be drowned by your thoughtless scheming_

_So, you can try to tear me down_

_Beat me to the ground_

_I will see you screaming_

Rina's eyes began to lighten. Her hate was still visible even as her eyes returned to their normal emerald color. She was shaken at how close she'd come to completely losing control. David was still sobbing like a beaten child in her grasp. Disgustedly, she threw him roughly to the ground.

"Rina?" Sessho Maru asked quietly.

Rina was still shaking from the force of her hatred. "He's not worth it. He is less than the dirt under my feet. He can't hurt me anymore." Kneeling down until her face was even with David's, she whispered threateningly "If ever you hurt anyone else, be it human or animal...if you so much as purposely squash a cockroach, I will know about it and I WILL come after you. I don't care where you are. You ever fuck up again, and nothing will keep you safe from me."

Straightening up, Rina glowered coldly at him. "And don't even THINK of trying to tell anyone what you saw tonight. All that would happen is that you'll get thrown into the loony bin."

Kicking dirt on him, she said "There. Be with your own."

Not looking back, she and Sessho Maru turned and started toward the well.

_All of my hate cannot be bound_

_I will not be drowned by your thoughtless scheming_

Sessho Maru heard the click an instant before the attack. But David still wasn't fast enough. Sessho Maru whirled and, with his venomous claws, tore a hole in David's chest.

_So, you can try to tear me down_

_Beat me to the ground_

_I will see you screaming_

The knife didn't even come close to Rina. She watched with fascination as the venom worked quickly through David's dying body, paralyzing him first, then seizing his lungs and keeping him from breathing. It didn't take long for him to shut down.

Sessho Maru calmly gathered Rina into his arms and sailed smoothly into the air, gliding toward the well.

Upon reaching the other side, Sessho Maru set Rina down so that he could hold her. "Are you alright, my love?" he asked gently.

"I'm just so shaken," she whispered. "I never thought I'd have to see him again. And I nearly lost control," her voice shook.

"Ssshhhh, love," Sessho Maru soothed. "You never have to worry about being bothered by that slime ever again."

Rina nodded as she buried her head into her mate's chest. "I knew I didn't have anything to fear from him, but I couldn't help it. Just seeing his face again made me relive everything that he did to me."

He held her quietly as her shocked mind tried to process everything that happened.

* * *

That night Rina had repeated nightmares of when she was a helpless 17-year-old being raped by someone that she thought was a friend. And Sessho Maru was there to comfort her through all of it.


	15. Chapter 14: Movie Night

Over the next couple of days since the incident with David, Sessho Maru saw a grim fury in Rina during their training sessions. Her strikes with blade, claw, and energy weapons during their sparring matches unleashed with the speed of which few full demons ever reached. Sessho Maru found himself experiencing a few moments in which he felt himself almost afraid of her. No one had ever really made him afraid like that. Not in an honest fight, not even to the death. He wondered if it was David she pictured herself fighting. He couldn't say as he blamed her. What was so sobering about it was that even as her speed and accuracy shot up to an even deadlier level, she never lost control---something which he always cautioned her against. She was definitely turning into a foe for Lord Hinkotsu to reckon with seriously. It would surely be the bear's downfall to underestimate her.

Finally, when Rina had borne Sessho Maru to the ground, drenched in the sweat of one who is fighting for his life without doubt of his mortality, Sessho Maru had to call her off.

"Rina! Enough!" he shouted, appalled at the note of alarm in his voice. He breathed a sigh of relief when Rina stepped away. She crouched down in a posture a few feet away from him that bespoke of momentary rest but ready to spring back into action at a moment's notice. Sessho Maru watched her quietly, remembering the first day that he met her when he felt from her an aura of such dangerous power. She was definitely showing it in full force now.

Sessho Maru would never deny that, during their training sessions, they pulled no punches. The first time that a strike from him landed on her flesh and she had looked at him with such surprise that it almost broke his heart, he had steeled himself.

"You're not fighting your mate today, Rina," he had said harshly. "No demon that you come up against is going to lighten the force of his blows, so neither will I. When we train, we are REALLY fighting."

Understanding had dawned in her eyes and over a short span of time (try 5 minutes), she had thrown herself into the intensity of their sessions. Soon Sessho Maru found himself receiving blows from her that she was quick enough to get past his defenses. Both would end their sessions at the end of the day absolutely covered in bruises, which they took great pleasure in soothing over the course of the evening and to make sure that the other was assured of their love.

'Course, their training sessions weren't _always_ fraught with the utmost violence. There had been a few where they would be in the middle of rolling around in close hand-to-hand combat and wrestling when they'd find themselves incredibly aroused.

This, however, was not one of those times.

Truthfully, Sessho Maru found himself quite at awe with the sudden and drastic improvement in Rina's skills and magical abilities. Not that she hadn't been good before. Even before the encounter with David, she had still been a formidable force. He just seriously hadn't imagined that she could improve _this_ much _this_ quickly. Yes, even Sessho Maru had underestimated her.

Finally Rina walked up to him. Her step was cautious though. She crouched down to look Sessho Maru in the eyes.

"Are you alright?" she asked him worriedly.

"Honestly?" he asked her. She nodded. "Honestly, I'm two things: I'm impressed and, at the same time, a bit frightened of you."

Rina's eyes widened with surprise. "Frightened?" She had never thought that she could frighten the great Lord Sessho Maru.

"I'm sorry," her tone stunned and her expression contrite.

Sessho Maru shook his head forcefully. "Don't be, my love," he insisted. "Right now you need to be as about as frightening as you can possibly be. If you can make Lord Hinkotsu even half as frightened of you as you have made me, I believe that you would find success in a battle against him."

She nodded at his words, though he could tell that she still didn't like the idea of having made him frightened.

He reached out to cup her cheek. "Don't fret, my love," he told her gently. "You've had too much to fret over the past few days. Don't add this to your list. I'm alright and I must say that you still maintained your control beautifully."

"I dunno," Rina said doubtfully. "You had to call me off like I was a crazed dog."

Sessho Maru barked out a laugh. "Well, since I happen to be a dog, why don't you let me be the judge of that. You weren't a crazed dog." He winked at her playfully. "More like a crazed tigress."

That got Rina to smile, wanly as it was. It was still a smile.

"However," he continued, "I suggest that we take a little rest from our training for a couple of days and go to your era and relax. I think you could use a break."

A smile lit up Rina's face as she unconsciously reached up to finger the Jewel Shard that always hung on a chain around her neck. As always, Sessho Maru felt himself melt at the smile that lit up her sweet face. Standing up, he pulled her up into his arms, kissed her, and began to carry her toward the well, both of them talking all the way of ideas to do for the evening.

As they made their way into Rina's apartment, Rina had a sudden thought. "I know! And I can't believe that I didn't think of this sooner!" She ran over to her entertainment center, which was hidden away in the built-in closet for it in the living room. Opening the doors, she began to rifle through a collection of flat, plastic rectangle-shaped things with pictures on them.

"What are those?" Sessho Maru asked curiously.

"This is my rather extensive DVD collection," Rina explained. "My movies," she tried again at the endearingly confused expression on his face. "A movie is basically a story that you watch on this," she said pointing to her flat-screen TV, which she turned on for his benefit. "You never watched any TV while you were staying with Mrs. Higurashi back when we first met?" Rina questioned.

Sessho Maru shook his head. "I didn't really stay indoors much during that time. I was too busy making myself crazy over you."

Rina giggled. "Hmmm," she said thoughtfully. "Keep saying things like that, m'lord, and I may just have to keep you."

Sessho Maru grinned back at her.

Rina went back to her explanation of movies. "So anyway, movies, or even regular TV shows, can be all different types of stories. Some are funny, some are romantic, which modern-day guys like to call 'chick flicks' 'cause guys here don't seem to think that romantic movies are things that a 'manly' man watches, some are action movies with lots of fights and explosions and stuff, and others are just downright scary. Those are called horror movies."

Sessho Maru looked at her with a look of confusion. "First of all, why wouldn't modern-day males want to watch a 'chick flick'? I would think that that would be the perfect thing to watch if they are wishing to woo the female of their choice, perhaps to even get that female in a mood to get physical with them."

Rina grinned. "Good answer!" she praised. Then she explained "Males in this day and age are utterly obsessed with trying to be bad-asses. Most are complete homophobes." She quickly explained the strange word. "Some males find themselves physically attracted to other males, and they are referred to as 'homosexuals' or 'gay' or even many names that are very cruel. Well, men that feel like if they behave in a manner that's anything less than what they consider to be 'manly', such as allowing themselves to show physical affection to _anyone_, especially another guy, are referred to as 'homophobes' which is to say that they are 'homophobic'. And I mean they even have trouble giving their own father or brothers hugs, much less guys that they are friends with. They're constantly afraid that if someone sees them doing that, they'll automatically be labeled as 'gay', which, funnily enough, they're usually the ones to toss that label out first." Rina drew in a breath after her long-winded attempt at an explanation of the strange behaviors of the males of her time.

Sessho Maru shook his head. "Strange," he finally said. "Granted, males, human and demon alike, in my time aren't exactly overflowing with physical affection toward others either, but not for such ridiculously insecure reasons as that."

"Well, to be fair," Rina supplied, "it's not _always_ like that with _all_ the males today. With some of them, it's just how they were raised. They might have had real hard-asses for parents who raised them to believe that a real man just shows no emotion whatsoever, otherwise he's showing weakness."

"That's a reason that I'm more familiar with," Sessho Maru regarded.

Rina blushed as she realized what she had said.

Sessho Maru laughed as he read her thoughts. "I know that you weren't referring to me, baby."

Rina laughed with him. "So anyway," she said, turning the topic back to movies. "That's the deal with 'chick flicks'. One of my favorites happens to be 'The Notebook'."

"Well, we shall have to watch that," Sessho Maru grinned.

Rina shook her head in wonderment. "Though I'll withhold judgment until _after_ you've sat through a chick flick, you are seriously too good to be true."

Sessho Maru laughed. "Now, explain something else to me," he requested. "These 'horror' movies that you referenced; why would humans want to watch something that frightens them? I would think that every day life is full of enough frightening things."

"That's just it, though," Rina explained. "Humans have no control over what frightens them in every day life. And even then, life these days isn't usually quite as scary as it is on the movies."

"Exactly," Sessho Maru pointed out, still confused. "Why would you subject yourself to something that's even more frightening than what is in the mundane?"

Rina continued her explanation patiently "Because, once again, even though a movie might be frightening, they can take comfort in the fact that it is, after all, just a movie. A lot of people like the thrill of watching horror movies. And there's even different kinds of horror movies.

"One kind is typically referred to as a 'slasher film', where basically some psycho stalker with a knife or ax or even a chainsaw goes chasing after helpless people and a body count ensues. I typically don't go for those kinds of movies. Those just kinda tend to hit a little too close to home, because those situations are things that _can_ happen in the mundane world, and often does in different parts of the world.

"My favorite kind of horror movies are the paranormal horror flicks that have ghosts and all sorts of things unexplained happening. Even though I've been introduced to your world where these kinds of things are normal occurrences, they still give me the thrilling fear but I don't worry about going home from the theater feeling as though I need to search my house to make sure that the movie didn't somehow come true for me."

Sessho Maru considered her explanation of horror movies thoughtfully. "I think that makes sense," he finally said. "Though I would have to actually see these kinds of movies to fully understand."

Rina grinned. "And thus the basis of my idea for tonight," she announced. "Let's have a movie night!"

Sessho Maru grinned. "That sounds like a grand idea."

"We should go to a movie theater tomorrow too," Rina said thoughtfully.

"Movie theater?" he questioned.

"A room with an enormous screen and great surround sound that shows movies before they are released to the public on these DVD discs," she explained. "Movies like action, fantasy, and horror are usually best experienced in a movie theater where you almost feel like you are part of the movie, as watching them on the regular TV screen is kinda a more diluted experience."

Rina grinned at Sessho Maru after a moment. "'Course, if I took you to see a movie, you'd have to promise not to attack the movie screen."

Sessho Maru gave her a mock-outraged look. "As if I would ever do that!" he proclaimed indignantly. Yet the twinkle in his eyes belied the offended tone of his voice. Rina laughed at him.

"Get your goofy ass down here and help me pick out a movie," she ordered him with a giggle.

He joined her on the floor where she had several titles spread out. She explained different ones---what genre they fell into, a brief description of the plot, etc.

Sessho Maru picked up one title that had bright letters overlying a picture of an eyeball peeking out from a waterfall of midnight black hair. "What's this?"

"Ooh! One of my favorite horror movies!" Rina exclaimed. "It's called 'The Grudge'. It's actually a Japanese movie. Well, actually, this version is a bit different from the original Japanese version. It was re-done for American audiences." She held up another DVD. "This one is the original Japanese. It's called 'Ju-On'."

"Why was it redone for 'Uhmarikan' audiences?" Sessho Maru asked, trying to roll the strange word off his tongue.

Rina snorted. "Because Americans don't know how to do a good horror movie for shit anymore," she retorted, scorn dripping from her tone. "American horror movies are so freaking lame nowadays. Most American directors rely on massive amounts of blood and guts to make their movies scary. And as such, their plots are incredibly lame and ridiculously cheesy. Not to mention the fact that Americans have become _way_ too reliant on special effects, which are things that are created artificially by the computers of this age.

"Movies like 'Ju-On', 'Ringu', or 'The Ring', as the American version is called, _those_ movies are brilliant. Their plots have thought put behind it and the things that are scary in these movies aren't made by elaborate attempts at special effects, they are far simpler. The simplest thing like a woman making this weird sound in her throat like the chick in 'The Grudge', for instance. The sound is _so_ freaking creepy!

"They basically utilize simple things like a sound or a particular way of movement or even a creepy, ghost-white little boy who yowls like a screaming cat to evoke the heebie-jeebies out of the audience."

Sessho Maru held up "The Grudge". "I think I'd like to see this," he said thoughtfully. "I'd like to see what you mean."

"Ok," Rina said cheerfully. "But this one is the one done in English. Will you be able to understand it? Or would you rather watch the original Japanese version?"

"I can understand English well enough," Sessho Maru said. "How about you put in whichever version that you prefer?"

"I like the one they made for the Americans," she conceded. "I like how they do the two different cultures together."

"Then let's watch that one first," Sessho Maru decided.

"Sounds good! I'll go heat up some popcorn real quick!" Rina scampered off to the kitchen, leaving Sessho Maru in the living room. A couple minutes later, his ears twitched at the sound of several tiny explosions followed by a scent that was absolutely delicious! He recognized the scent of butter immediately, though the scent that accompanied it was quite foreign. A few minutes later, though, she returned with a large bowl of something that looked rather fluffy. It was white in color with the exception of a brown middle.

"What is this?" he asked curiously as she put in the movie and set it up to play, even turning on her "surround sound" system, which she explained to him.

"This," she said as she sat down and took the bowl from him, "is popcorn. Try it." Rina grabbed a handful from the bowl and popped a few pieces into her mouth. Sessho Maru followed suit and was pleased at the texture that was both fluffy and crunchy at the same time. And the flavor was very good. The greasy butter flavor smoothed its way over his tongue pleasantly as he chewed.

Then the movie started after playing a few blurbs to whet the appetite of the audience toward some other movies.

The music was creepy, first of all, he noted as, what Rina called the "opening credits" started. It had an ominous note that was successful at even putting him at a wee bit of unease.

After the scene in which the unidentified male committed suicide by jumping off his balcony right in front of his wife, Rina explained to him "Now you're going to have to pay attention to the quirks in the plot. They don't tell this story in a linear, chronological fashion. They jump around a bit back and forth between past and present to gradually reveal the mysteries of the plot."

Then it showed a girl in a house picking up trash that had been strewn everywhere. "It looks like your garbage can exploded," Sessho Maru remarked. Rina chuckled inwardly. He was definitely going to be a talker, that was for sure.

The girl on the screen answered the phone and spoke in Japanese to the person on the other end. Suddenly the girl heard a strange noise and went to investigate, inevitably being drawn into a cramped closet where Sessho Maru could already tell that she was going to meet her unfortunate demise.

He watched as the girl lit up what Rina called a Zippo lighter and, using it as a torch, stood up to look around the dark attic.

Sessho Maru was surprised to feel his eyes widen as he caught sight of the waiting woman before the girl did. And when the girl did notice, the woman attacked, though what exactly happened to the girl wasn't shown. Rather, all that was shown was the girl's feet kicking frantically as she screamed for her life while being dragged up into the attic. And her screams were drowned out by the sound that the woman made in her throat. A creepy death rattle that effectively sent chills down Sessho Maru's spine. His hair actually stood on end.

"Clever," he said as the scene ended and the movie progressed so something a little more calm for the moment.

"Eh?" Rina questioned.

"Very clever," Sessho Maru said again. "I see now what you mean. Such a simple sound."

"It was creepy as hell, wasn't it?" Rina asked with a grin.

"And the woman herself didn't particularly look...threatening in and of herself. At least, not compared to what I'm used to. And yet they way that they made her look, her manner.....I don't think I'd be pleased to see her whilst peeking into a dark attic."

"Could fairly give a body a heart attack," Rina agreed. "I may be a half tiger demon, but I think that were I to run into her, I would probably wet myself more than just a little bit."

Sessho Maru laughed at that as he reached for more popcorn only to discover that all that was left were some kernels that had never popped. He frowned in an expression of annoyance that caught him a little by surprise.

"Don't worry," Rina laughed. "I'll go make more." She walked off to the kitchen and left Sessho Maru to watch the movie by himself. Sessho Maru would rather have died than admit that he didn't really want to watch it by himself, but nothing really happened while Rina was in the other room. Karen, the main character, had just started taking care of the mute old woman when Rina returned.

He was pleased to find that the plot jumps didn't hold any confusion for him, and he quickly came to understand that anyone who entered the cursed house became cursed themselves.

The scene with the mute woman's daughter encountering the phantom woman in the stairwell only to have it follow her home after it even came after her over the security screens he found particularly unnerving. He found himself exclaiming a little over the scene when she was headed up the elevator to her apartment and on every floor waited the boy with his cat. And there was just something innately horrifying about how the cursed spirit even wended its way past the woman's locked doors only to capture her into oblivion underneath the sheets of her bed. He could feel the near hopelessness of not being able to escape, no matter how safely one was locked up in their apartment.

And the part where Yoko showed up for her boss missing a jaw bone was something that Sessho Maru found a little bit disturbing.

As the mysteries behind the curse were revealed before Karen decided to burn the house, Sessho Maru knew that it wouldn't work and even spoke so.

"Why do you say that?" Rina asked him.

"Even back in my era, a curse such as that which is born from such potent rage isn't going to be confined by a mere object like a house. The curse will continue long after the house falls to shambles. It won't disappear. It will just get worse and it will spread like a supernatural disease."

Rina eyed him with surprise. "Can't sneak nothing past you," she said. "That's basically the premise that the sequel goes on. I don't think that the sequel is as good as the first one, but it was still very interesting, in my opinion. Wasn't all that bad as sequels go, but not quite as scary as the first one."

"So what did you think?" Rina asked as the end credits began to roll.

"It was certainly creepy," Sessho Maru conceded. "But I found myself mostly saddened by it. To have yourself consigned to a death sentence by the supernatural simply because you unknowingly stepped into the wrong house and not being able to do anything to fight or change your altered fate.....it's actually a little bit depressing. It exuded a certain feeling of hopelessness."

Rina nodded her agreement. "I see your point. I don't suppose there are many things more frightening than the things that you can't change."

Popping the DVD out of the player, Rina turned to ask "So do you want to watch the second one or would you like to watch something else?"

"Why don't we go ahead and watch the second one?" Sessho Maru offered. "I'm quite curious."

So Rina popped it in and pressed "Play". After the blurbs that Rina explained were "trailers" to advertise the up-and-coming movies, "The Grudge 2" started off in a place unfamiliar to Sessho Maru. So he asked Rina about it as she pressed "Pause" so that he wouldn't miss anything. She was already used to it from having to do it so much in "The Grudge". She was amazed that it didn't annoy her. Anyone else and she'd be biting their heads off right now.

"This part takes place in an American city called 'Chicago'," she explained.

Sessho Maru tipped his head with a frown. "So it's not even going to take place in Japan?" he asked, his tone declaring early disappointment in this sequel.

"Relax," Rina replied with a laugh, "and just watch." She pressed "Play" again and as they watched, the scene opened to show a man sitting at the breakfast table while a very lovely woman stood at the stove frying up some sausages that already looked a mite burnt. The conversation wasn't lovely. The man bickered about her cooking skills and, as she walked to the table from the kitchen, bitched about how she was going to go shopping again for 3 hours and leave her cell phone off. The accusation couldn't have been any clearer had he sung it to her in opera.

The ranting man didn't notice the cold, empty, almost bored expression on the woman's face as she put some sausages on his plate.

"Uh oh," Sessho Maru said as he beheld what the man was oblivious to. Her intentions toward the verbally offending male were written all over her blank features. They couldn't have been clearer than if she'd verbally announced them on the morning news. "That fool should have just kept his idiotin' mouth shut," he growled, using slang that was a favorite of Ryuko's.

Sure enough. The woman gave the man another sidelong bored stare a mere moment before she raised the skillet and poured scalding, red-hot sausage grease onto the man's head. The man was roaring in pain as he started to jump to his feet, but he barely was able to move before the woman smashed him full-swing in the head with the skillet. Himself having been assaulted with freshly-used hot cookware, Sessho Maru couldn't help a cringe of sympathy as the man fell to the floor, twitching and bleeding profusely from the head as he died.

Meanwhile, the woman sat calmly in his chair and clasped her morning coffee as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Damn," Sessho Maru finally said in an awed tone of voice as the opening credits and the familiar, creepy music began to play.

"Hell, yeah," Rina agreed. "I saw this in theaters with my friends during that time that we were apart and when she did that, we and the entire theater just went absolutely ape shit."

Sessho Maru chuckled at that. He was starting to get used to the strange slang of her era.

The next scene came up of three high school girls in uniform. One was Japanese and the other two were American. One had blonde hair and the other had black. It was immediately and painfully obvious that the American girl with the black hair was an outsider to the other two and desperately wanted to fit in. That she would do _anything_ to be accepted by them.

"Those two are up to no good," Sessho Maru observed.

Quite astute he was (or maybe the movie was just that predictable), for Miyuki and Vanessa led Allison to the cursed house that Karen had tried to burn down. They led the girl inside, all the while telling her the details of the curse, including the fact that if you go in the house, you're fucked.

"Oh, hold on!" Sessho Maru barked in outrage. Rina paused the movie. "If they know what happens to people that go into the house, why would they consign themselves to death like that? All just to play some prank on some pathetic girl who's too stupid and desperate to know that they never intended to be her friend?!"

"That's because, sadly, today is an age of extreme ignorance to anything supernatural," Rina explained. "It's all about the material. Most people don't even believe what's right in front of their face. Legends and ghost stories these days are considered nonsense, even in a country like Japan that still leans heavily toward its spirituality." Sessho Maru grunted with disgust.

Rina turned the movie back on and watched as the girls put Allison into the closet leading up to the attic to tempt the enraged spirit of the woman, Kayako. And the girls were made believers when Kayako's death rattle heralded her appearance. Allison, trapped in the closet by the spirits who would have her, screamed in absolute panic as Kayako descended down toward her latest would-be victim.

Then the closet door sprang open and Allison hauled ass out of the house who's demons would never let her go.

When Karen's younger sister, Aubrey, was introduced and she arrived in Japan to see her sister in the hospital, Sessho Maru couldn't help the somber "That's what you think," when Karen told Aubrey in a panic that she was the only one who could stop her.

Sessho Maru felt his heart pound in sympathy as Kayako began the final hunt for Karen. He knew that this time she would succeed in killing her. What he wasn't prepared for was Aubrey having to witness her sister's death as Karen's body hit the ground after a long fall from the top of the hospital building. Sessho Maru had never really been an empathic person, but he could almost feel Aubrey's potent horror flood through him as she gazed at the crushed, lifeless body of her sister and her blood that had spattered onto her shoes.

To Rina's surprise, Sessho Maru remained strangely quiet for most of the rest of the movie. He'd make an occasional remark here and there, but otherwise seemed content to observe the events unfolding.

When the unknown person wearing the hoodie that obscured the face was introduced, Sessho Maru remarked, "Gee, wonder who that is?"

Rina chuckled, but didn't indulge his sarcasm with a response.

He pushed a bit further. "So that's how the curse transcended the oceans."

Rina feigned frustration. "Oh would you just hush and watch the movie?" Her exasperation was punctuated with a laugh and a shove in Sessho Maru's direction.

And at the end, when the person in the hoodie was revealed to indeed be Allison, Sessho Maru barked out "Ha! I knew it!!"

Rina could feel his sympathy as they watched Aubrey being subjected to reliving Kayako's murder, being stalked down by the potent spirit of her husband, who broke Aubrey's neck in the same way that he'd broken Kayako's. And when it was revealed that the spirit that Allison had actually seen in the house had been Aubrey's, not Kayako's, that succeeded in actually surprising Sessho Maru.

"You're right," he conceded as the credits started rolling. "It wasn't quite as scary as the first one, though it did have its moments. When Kayako manifested in that.....what did you say it was? A dark room?"

Rina nodded.

"That was pretty messed up," he finished. "But its mystery elements were pretty good and I think it explained a few things."

While they continued the discussion of the movie further, Rina's stomach suddenly gave a loud, demanding growl.

"Hungry?" Sessho Maru asked with amusement.

"Aren't you?" Rina asked with a laugh.

"Just a little," Sessho Maru admitted.

Rina walked into the kitchen and started looking for something to make for dinner. She came back into the living room with an irritated, mulish look on her face.

"I seriously don't feel like cooking tonight. You wanna just go out instead?"

"That sounds fine."

Arm-in-arm, they walked a few blocks over to a restaurant. Rina had declared that she was in the mood for some Chinese and she tore into her Sweet & Sour chicken with much relish while Sessho Maru ate his Bell Pepper Beef with all the dignity that anyone would expect from a Lord. Rina couldn't help a chuckle. They were so different and yet they blended so well. He didn't care that she was DEFINITELY not very Lady-like. It still flabbergasted her, really. He ought to be completely disgusted by her behavior, and he would just regard her with fascination and amusement. Hell, he'd actually laughed heartily the time that she, Kuri, and Ryuko had gotten into an uproarious belching contest. He accepted her and loved her exactly the way that she was and never sought to change a thing about her.

When they got back to her apartment after their dinner outing, she asked Sessho Maru what he wanted to do.

"I would like to watch some more of your movies," was his answer.

They stayed up almost all night. They watched "The Notebook" first. Rina waited with bated breath to see what Sessho Maru's opinion of it was. She couldn't help but expect him to be like every other guy and express his distaste with "chick flicks". Much to her surprise, Sessho Maru gave his stamp of approval and requested to watch another one. They watched "Pearl Harbor" and "Titanic" after that. Sessho Maru remained awake long after Rina dozed off within the first half hour of putting "Titanic" on. After it was over, Sessho Maru carried her up the stairs to bed and happily curled up against her spine to hold her just as he'd seen in the movies. In his opinion, the males of Rina's era were complete imbeciles. After all, if they wanted to learn ways to woo a woman and actually get results, all they had to do was watch some of those romantic movies and they would have just about all the pointers they'd need.

Rina turned over in her sleep to snuggle soundly against him and nuzzle her head into his firm chest. And just like what had happened thousands of times since first glimpsing her at the beach, he fell in love with her all over again. Clutching her tightly against him, he drifted away into a contented sleep.


	16. Chapter 15: Missing

A couple months later, after nothing eventful happening, Rina began to be hopeful that maybe the peace of her current life wouldn't be interrupted.

She was on her way back to the village after a week-long visit to her home time for a performance with Kuri and the others. Sessho Maru hadn't been able to go with her because of some pressing business he had to attend to. Rina understood and didn't mind, although she still felt the loneliness of not having her mate by her side.

Rina froze as sounds and smells reached her. Sounds of conflict. Smells of suffering that made her stomach turn. With a gasp, she was racing for the village as fast as possible, grasping with her right hand the sword that Sessho Maru had commissioned for her. Springing to great height in the air, she sought to get a look at who or what was attacking the village.

She could see Inu Yasha battling ferociously, Sango riding on Kirara and brandishing the Hiraikotsu weapon with much success, and Miroku guiding Kagome, Kit, and Shippo away from danger. Without his Wind Tunnel, he could still fight, but he was most helpful in making sure that Kagome, the baby, and Shippo didn't come to harm.

And when Rina got a look at who exactly they were battling, her stomach did a sick flop. She immediately recognized the minions of Hinkotsu.

"Oh gods," she whispered. "They've found me."

With a shout, she landed on the back of one of the demons and began her battle, putting into play everything that Sessho Maru had taught her, both of her powers and her prowess as a warrioress. She felt her claws lengthen, the venom swirling within them. It was Sessho Maru who had discovered that power in her, so much like his own. Slashing with her sword and her claws, lashing out with her feet, she tore through demon after demon until none were left standing after her, Inu Yasha's, and Sango's combined efforts.

After the danger had passed, Rina looked around. "Inu Yasha? Where's Sessho Maru? Isn't he back yet?"

Inu Yasha's ears twitched slightly. Shaking his head, he said, "No. We expected him back about 2 days ago."

Rina's brows knit together worriedly. Suddenly she heard the sound of hurried limping coming from the bushes. Brandishing her sword, she waited for the new intruder to reveal himself. As the intruder came into view, Rina tensed and then gasped.

It was Jaken. Badly wounded.

"Jaken!" Rina cried, rushing up to the little imp to catch him before he collapsed from agonizing exhaustion. "Jaken, what happened? Are you alright?"

"Ambushed...Lord Hinkotsu...it was all a trap to lure my Lord Sessho Maru away."

Rina's heart did a sick flop. "Jaken," she said, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. "Where is Sessho Maru?"

"I don't know," Jaken's weakening voice, thick with grief and pain, ground out before he passed out.

Biting her lip, Rina gathered Jaken's small form into her arms to take him to Kaede's hut to be treated with the other wounded. Rina treated him herself. Kaede and Kagome had taught her a lot about different healing herbs in the time since she became mated to Sessho Maru. After she finished treating his wounds, Rina settled Jaken on a pallet and continued to mop his feverish forehead with a cool wet rag.

Rina watched tirelessly over Jaken that night after she treated him. For a while Rina feared that Jaken wouldn't make it through the night, so severe were his wounds. Some wounds had flayed to the bone. It would be a long time before Jaken would be fully healed.

The next morning, Rina thought that her eyes were going to fall out, so tired was she. Just when she thought that she would pass out from exhaustion, she heard Jaken rustle. Snapping to attention, she waited for Jaken to regain consciousness.

What seemed like an eternity later, Jaken mumbled fitfully, "L--Lord Sessho...Maru."

Rina mopped Jaken's clammy forehead with a cold cloth until he opened his eyes.

"W--where am I?" his voice was weak and thin.

"You're here in the village. You made it back," Rina answered gently.

"Lord Sessho Maru," Jaken whimpered plaintively.

"Where is he, Jaken?" Rina asked as calmly as possible, trying to keep the tremors out of her voice.

"He sent me away before I could find out," Jaken said miserably. "We were ambushed by Lord Hinkotsu and several of his minions and my Lord told me to escape for my life to make sure that you were alright."

"You did well, Jaken," Rina soothed him gently, trying to give the little imp some peace. "You must rest so that you will recover, alright? I will find Sessho Maru. I promise."

And with those words, Jaken fell asleep. Rina felt a momentary lick of fear until she saw his little chest rise and fall as he breathed deeply and soundly.

After leaving Jaken, Rina sought out Inu Yasha, Kagome, and Kaede. They listened intently as Rina related to them what Jaken had told her. Finally, after asking Kaede and Kagome to watch over Jaken, Rina headed towards the well.

"Wait! Where're you going?" Inu Yasha hollered after her. "Aren't you going after Sessho Maru?"

"Yes," Rina hollered back. "But there are a couple things I need first." With that, she leapt into the well. Upon reaching her time, she raced at blinding speeds for her apartment.

After reaching her apartment, she hurriedly dialed Kuri's number.

"Kuri? Yeah, it's me. I need you to do me a favor.

A half hour later Kuri walked in with a paper bag. Brandishing scissors, she herded Rina to the bathroom. Rina's heart gave a momentary squeeze of regret to see mass inches of her fiery hair fall to the floor.

Kurya was a master with hair and was always doing the hair and makeup of the band, so in no time she had Rina's hair at an even shoulder length.

Next came the hair dye. An hour later Rina stepped out of the shower and towel-dried her now-midnight black hair.

As she dressed in a borrowed Feudal Era kimono that didn't carry her scent, Kuri dug into the paper bag and handed her a box of contacts. The kind meant specifically changing your eye color.

When all was said and done, Rina looked like just another Japanese person. Though the shape of her eyes would give her away almost immediately, people would have to take a second look to make sure she wasn't Asian.

Kuri accompanied Rina to the well. Rina turned to say her goodbyes, but suddenly seemed at a loss. She was more than aware that death was a possibility when she faced Hinkotsu. And she knew that the confrontation was coming. Now it was only a matter of time.

Kuri smiled at her weakly. "Be careful, ok? I'll be praying for you. I hope that you find Sessho Maru safe and that you kill that bastard Hinkotsu."

Rina smiled gratefully at her friend's well-wishes. "You and me both, chicka," she said softly before hugging Kuri tight, and leaping into the well.

Arriving back at the village, she checked on Jaken, who was still sleeping, mumbling things occasionally in his sleep.

"Hey! Who are you!" came Inu Yasha's barking voice. He stopped short and gasped as Rina turned around. "Wha--What'd you do to yourself?"

"Blending in," Rina replied. She offered him a wobbly smile. Starting toward the door, she said, "Keep an eye on the little squirt, will ya?"

"Just worry about yourself, alright? You sure that you can do this on your own?"

Rina nodded. "I'll be alright. Kagome and Kit need you far more than I do." With that, Rina headed out the door to follow Jaken's scent to follow it to where he'd come from.

She had to swallow down a stroke of fear as she headed swiftly towards the forest from whence Jaken came. What if she was too late? What if she lost Jaken's scent? What if Sessho Maru was already dead? Rina shook her head sharply to clear out those frightening thoughts and bade herself to move faster. She would find Sessho Maru simply because she must. For her, there was no other option.


	17. Chapter 16: Somewhere

Running the trail of Jaken's scent was an interesting experience. Rina had never really tracked by scent before, and yet it came so naturally. And yet it was still a challenge at the speeds she was traveling. But it wasn't really something that she thought about. She just did it. Her body carried her as her mind was far away.

_Lost in the darkness, hoping for a sign_

_Instead there is only silence,_

_Can't you hear my screams...?_

_Never stop hoping,_

_Need to know where you are_

_But one thing is for sure,_

_You're always in my heart._

She all-too-well remembered Lord Hinkotsu's cruelty. The lengths that he would go to. She remembered all too well when he killed Biru and Misu. All because they had done what he would do to her for months.

_**What will he do to Sessho Maru?**_ she wondered fearfully. She didn't doubt Sessho Maru's ability to hold his own, but she couldn't help but fear losing him. It was something that had niggled at the back of her mind ever since their feelings for each other had been made known.

Yet, thinking of Sessho Maru's strength and the strength he gave her, she felt her determination and resolve hardening.

_I'll find you somewhere_

_I'll keep on trying until my dying day_

_I just need to know whatever has happened,_

_The Truth will free my soul._

She would never give up. Still, she thought to herself. It would be easier if I could remember where Hinkotsu's lair was. She didn't have the slightest doubt that that's where Sessho Maru was. But Hinkotsu was an expert at keeping his keep hidden. She very well remembered that.

Her mind went again to the impossibility of Hinkotsu's cruelty. She remembered the death of one of her fellow slaves. Her death had been slow and painful. And even those words didn't adequately describe it. Hinkotsu seemed to have the inherent ability to know exactly what would break someone; what would cause them the most pain, be it physical or mental, though he seemed to especially relish watching his victim plead in mental anguish for someone they loved.

That slave had not only died of physical wounds, but also of a broken heart after having to watch her husband and children horribly slaughtered.

_**And it was all because she had not prepared his food to the exact degree of correctness that he demanded!**_ Rina screamed in her mind, tears prickling her eyes. No, Hinkotsu's cruelty knew no bounds, for he cared nothing for mercy. It was something wasted on the bear youkai lord.

_Lost in the darkness, try to find your way home_

_I want to embrace you and never let you go_

_Almost hope you're in heaven so no one can hurt your soul..._

_Living in agony 'cause I just do not know_

_Where you are_

"If that bastard hurts Sessho Maru, I will kill him plain and simple," Rina vowed aloud.

_I'll find you somewhere_

_I'll keep on trying until my dying day_

_I just need to know whatever has happened,_

_The Truth will free my soul._

_Wherever you are, I won't stop searching._

_Whatever it takes, I need to know._

_I'll find you somewhere_

_I'll keep on trying until my dying day_

_I just need to know whatever has happened,_

_The Truth will free my soul._

Hours later, Rina detected the smells of a village. Jaken had passed through it. She passed through 2 other ones, all of which Jaken had by-passed. But there was the encouraging smell of the village that Jaken had smelled of. Not too very far. She smelled another village before it.

She slowed her pace. She would rest briefly at this village. It wouldn't be good to be totally exhausted if she were suddenly attacked.

Arriving at the outskirts of the village, she walked in, hoping to be able to buy some food. She had gone around the last villages, so she didn't know if people would just not look at her twice or if they'd be studying her features.

She walked into the village casually, relieved that her camouflage of her physical features seemed to be working.

Coming upon a fruit vendor, she picked herself some different varieties, but not too much lest she be loaded down. Just enough to keep her strength up. As she handed her payment to the woman for the fruit, her ears picked up a conversation between two men about 20 yards away.

"...happened across a demon on the way here."

"Are you serious? What happened? You don't look hurt"

"Well, oddly enough, he didn't seem like a cruel demon. He helped me, in fact."

Rina started to shrug as she bit into a piece of fruit, relishing the sweet moisture that filled her mouth and slaked her thirst.

"What happened?"

"Well, I was having some trouble with these strange demons. Never seen the likes of them before. Don't even know how to describe them. But they were trying to ask me about a girl. Like I know who the hell they're talking about."

Rina's ears twitched at that. Hinkotsu's minions, no doubt.

"Anyway, so when they felt like I was just willfully not cooperating with them, this other demon intercepted. Frightened them off. He transformed a bit, though not all the way. But I must say that I've never seen a demon the likes of him before. He looked like a tiger, but I've never heard of a Tiger demon before. Anyway, he scared them off, helped me gather the things that I had dropped, asked if I was alright, and then sent me on my way. Man with long, red hair."

Rina walked away to the outskirts by where Jaken's scent continued. She wouldn't have long to rest. The scent was getting fainter all the time.

As she sat down by the base of a tree, relishing the coolness of the shade, she thought about what she had heard.

_**I must not be far now. If those demons waylaid him on his way here...**_

"I must ask him what direction he came from," Rina murmured aloud. As she was about to get up, she caught a scent. Her lip curled. "No need," she muttered to herself.

They were headed straight for her. Hinkotsu's minions. Roughly the size of a small grizzly bear, they were bear-like in form, but extremely ugly, so much to the point that they didn't much look like bears, per se. As that man said, they were just overall hard to describe.

By taking one look at them, Rina could see that they weren't heading straight for her, just heading in her direction. They hadn't caught her scent. Her robes were hiding her scent rather well, which pleased the hell out of her.

However, she did see their purpose written all over their hideous faces. They were in a mind of murder. Heading straight for the village. They intended to slaughter.

"The fuck they will," Rina snarled. Knowing full well that her actions would give herself away more than likely, she ran to place herself directly in between the horde and the village, but not before shouting a warning to the villagers.

"No! Don't go inside your huts! If any get past me, they will surely burn down your homes with you in them!"

A man there took charge and began to lead them away.

Tuning to face the demons that drew ever near, Rina brandished her sword. There was more of them than she had faced back in Kaede's village. No matter. She would slaughter them nevertheless.

She felt herself calming to a dangerous level--the point that, like Sessho Maru, she appeared cold and emotionless.

They were close now. She twitched an ear slightly. Good. The village was empty. They were slowing. She could sense their confusion. A woman standing against them? This caught them off guard, for this surely wasn't the woman for whom they sought. Dressed in peasants robes, Rina looked anything but the red-headed woman that they were after.

They slowed to a stop as Rina threw her right arm out, her sword in her hand, in a blocking gesture. "State your business," she demanded coolly.

"We are to destroy this village for harboring an enemy of our great Lord Hinkotsu," spoke the one in the lead.

"And who is this enemy of Lord Hinkotsu?" Rina asked nonchalantly, almost bored.

"A runaway slave."

Rina barked out a laugh. "The term enemy implies that there is a small measure of fear in part of both parties. Do you mean to tell me that the great Lord Hinkotsu fears a mere slave?"

The question seemed to catch the horde off guard, as their actions became slightly disoriented.

"Surely Lord Hinkotsu does not fear that he will be over-thrown by a runaway slave," Rina said to them quietly.

"I can assure you that there are no runaway slaves here at this village. Not recent. Not ever. Now go on your way. No one need die today, be they human or demon."

The horde seemed hesitant as they awaited the decision of their leader.

_**Yeah. This bunch don't get points for intelligence.**_

The leader's nose began to twitch. Rina didn't blink. Yes, he had caught her scent. And things rapidly began to click in his stupid brain. No one but a half-demon woman would be brave or foolish enough to stand against a demon three times her size, much less an entire horde of them.

"You!" grated the demon's rough, slow voice. "You are the one we seek!"

"Took ya long enough!" Rina laughed before everything exploded into action.

There were a good 50 of them. As before, their speed was nothing in compared to hers. Her claws lengthened, her eyes burned red as she gave herself to the power surging through her. Demon after demon was felled, falling to either her venomous claws or her sword. Well-endowed though Lord Hinkotsu was, his minions were not, nor did they have a very high resistance to it.

Suddenly Rina felt knife-like claws shredding through her back, narrowly missing her spine. A shriek of pain tore from her throat as she fell to the ground. She did manage to fell the demon who did it, running her sword through his throat, piercing through its neck and emerging out the top of it; all but beheaded him.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, there came a blast of power so strong that the rest of the demons were blown away into dust with the exception of the leader, who was badly wounded with the attack, but spared.

Looking over her bleeding shoulder, Rina saw a man with red hair walking up to stand behind her. Realization hit her. _**This must be the demon that had helped that man that I heard in the village.**_

"I warned them to leave innocent people alone. Look what happens when nobody listens to me," he said coolly.

Rina breathed in so that she could tell him thank you for his help when she caught his scent. A cat. A tiger. Herself.

"You---" she choked, suddenly at a loss.

He had blazing emerald eyes, a kind but hard mouth, a handsome face complete with a nose that fit with the proportions of his face. In essence, he looked like her almost to the exact.

Standing to her feet, Rina looked at him closer. "Who are you?"

He spoke with a Scottish accent. "M'name's Alexander MacTaggart."

Rina had once been able to trace her family tree, though hadn't managed to get overly far, but she had traced her father's side to the name of MacTaggart.

He drew in a few sniffs. "Aye. I though' I had smelled somethin' familiar. You're part o' me, an' yet I dinna have the slightest idea as t' who you are."

"It's complicated," Rina said. "I'm not even sure you'd understand.

"Lassie, do you know how I became a demon? I was born one, though none o' it was a natural thing. See, m'grand da' was a cruel man. Just a real mean-spirited man. Treated everyone and everythin' horribly.

"One day he happened upon this exotic traveller. Had been to a far away place full of all sorts of strange, exotic creatures and people who's skin was a strange color with almond-shaped eyes. He had captured a strange, striped cat there, but couldna afford to keep it with 'im no more. Sold it t' ma gran' da' fer real cheap.

"And, as he was with ev'rythin' else, he treated that cat absolutely hellish.

'Twasn't long before the cat had enough. One day, gran' da' was headin' in to deal with it, started beatin' it again. But before he could get two strikes in, th' cat changed into somethin' else. He was a god of some sort. A very powerful god, an' we all know tha' it's generally not a wise thing to anger a god. He told gran' da' tha' there wasna a worthwhile bone in his body and tha' he should die. But he wasna gonna give the bastard tha' easy of an out.

"Rather, m' gran' da' an' everyone following in his line, both male and female, would pay. Gran' da' was turned into a demon with the form of tha' cat. Gran' da' pleaded with the god, but the cat wouldna hear it. Said that gran' da' had had plenty o' opportunity t' show kindness on his own, but had proven that he was just incapable of it. Nothin' would undo the curse, either.

"We were given great powers, but were very heavily warned that we were under no circumstances t' use them for our own greed. If any of us did, or used them t' dominate those weaker than us, the god would instantly kill the trespasser. Jus' fall over dead.

"Instead, we must use our powers t' help people, t' pay back the debt tha' m' gran' da' incurred."

Alexander took a breath. "So, Lassie, d' ya really think tha' anythin' ya have t' tell me will really phase me tha' much?"

Rina glanced at the unconscious form of Hinkotsu's minion. When he woke up, she wanted to question him, find out exactly where Hinkotsu's lair was.

Looking back at her ancestor, she drew a breath. "I'm not even from this time."

Alexander looked confused. "I beg yer pardon?"

"I'm not from this time. I'm from the future."

Alexander looked impressed. "Wow, lass. You werena kiddin'. This is really stretchin' it."

Rina couldn't help but chuckle at his tone. "Apparently you are my ancestor. My name is Katrina. I am from the year 2008. Though by the time I was born, the legend of how we came to be was lost, I have noticed that I've had abilities. Sharper eyesight, better hearing, better sense of smell, basically all the senses of an animal. But my abilities didn't really start coming into their own until I was about 18. I grew up in Japan, but a little over a year ago I met a man by the name of Sessho Maru. He is a youkai lord here in this era.

"There is a well in this time that also exists in the time that I am from and with the power of a jewel called the Shikon no Tama, it becomes a portal between the times. That is how I get back here.

"Sessho Maru is my mate. He is an inu youkai."

Alexander nodded. "I have heard of the Shikon jewel. I have heard of much that has happened with it. So, it is true then that the girl who has it is not of this era."

Rina nodded.

"And what of your mate?"

"Sessho Maru was captured by the demon who bought me when I was first brought back to this time. His name is Lord Hinkotsu."

Alexander's eyes flashed. "Ah, yes. That bastard."

"You know of him?" Rina asked hopefully.

"Aye. He is a stain on this beautiful country. Probably one of the worst. He may not be the most powerful demon in these lands, but he is certainly one of the most evil. I have heard tell of the slave who escaped him. That was you? I had heard tell that she had red hair and green eyes. Why do you not?"

Rina turned away to take out her contacts, revealing her eyes to him. "I am trying to disguise myself as best as possible. I'm going to get my mate back."

Alexander nodded quietly. "Then, the quicker, the better, I say," he said in Japanese, which he spoke fluently.

"The quicker I'm put to ease," Rina replied.

She turned to the demon on the ground. Good timing. He was starting to stir. Rina bound him tightly so that escape would not be possible for him.

"Wake up," she said harshly, prodding him until his eyes opened and focused. He immediately started to struggle. Rina reached up and grabbed a hefty fistful of his mane and pulled harshly. "That's enough! Do you fear for your life?"

The demon gave a sort of whimper that bespoke that deep down, he really did.

"Good, then you will tell me how to find the lair of Hinkotsu. I have unfinished business with him."

The demon looked as if he wanted to not tell her.

"Look, you were going to take me there anyway, were you not?"

He fell quiet as though contemplating that reasoning. "From here go northeast. It's almost 4 day's journey."

"Now that wasn't so hard," Rina said cheerfully. "Thank you."

She turned to the man who was her ancestor. "Thank you for all your help."

"Wait a minute, though, lass. You seem to have forgotten the wounds on your back. You're not goin' anywhere until tomorrow mornin' at least. You canna be facin' Hinkotsu so very unrested. I can probably heal those wounds up right quick as well."

Rina smiled gratefully at him. "Alright, then."

That night, Rina somehow slept better than she had in days.


	18. Chapter 17: Loss

At least, she did sleep soundly until the nightmare started. Rina whimpered in her sleep as a horrifying scene played out before her eyes.

**She could see Sessho Maru. His clothes were in tatters, soaked with blood. He was unconscious and his breathing sounded strange. His face was pale and his perfect body was marred by bruises and gashes. Some were obviously caused by a blade, others by the strike of a whip. The long silk of his silver hair was now matted with dried blood. Rina had never seen Sessho Maru looking so broken before. The horror of seeing him so weak when he was always so strong frightened her. It made the prospect of him dying severely real to her. And if he died, she knew that she would too.**

**She opened her mouth to call to him, but no sound came.**

_**Please, Sessho, please wake up.**_

**She couldn't even tell if he was breathing.**

**But then, miraculously, he opened his eyes and for a moment, it felt as though he were looking directly at her. The drained color of his normally vibrant golden eyes frightened her even more.**

_**Oh, baby, what has he done to you?**_** Her heart broke for him, knowing that she could do nothing to help him right now.**

**Sessho Maru's hand raised off the ground toward her, as though he were trying to reach out and touch her. Rina reached out her own hand to his but felt nothing. They were as ghosts to each other; ships passing in the night. So close, and yet a million miles away. Then she saw his pale eyes harden and he dropped his hand away, as though he were trying to strengthen himself against his wounds. As though he despised Rina having to see him in such a state.**

**His eyes turned from pain-filled back to their normal emotionless gaze---the expression that just asked blatantly if he even remotely gave a fuck.**

**As Rina began to withdraw from the dream, she felt a sense of relief. If he was strong enough to tamp down his pain still, then he would surely make it and last until she could get to him.**

**Yet before she could withdraw completely, she saw the door to his prison thrown open and the hulking form of Hinkotsu in his bear form loomed there. **

**The last thing that she saw before waking was of Sessho Maru trying to get to his feet to withstand the approaching attack. . . .**

Rina came awake with a scream of rage and agony. Sessho Maru was being attacked again and she was not by his side where she could come to his aid. Jumping up from her pallet, she tested the wounds on her back. They weren't all the way healed, but they were mostly. She was certainly healed enough to start hauling ass in the direction that Lord Hinkotsu's demon had pointed out to her.

She looked over at MacTaggart, who was still asleep on the other side of the camp fire he'd built last night. She would definitely want to find him again if she could. She wanted to know more about where she came from. However, before she could find out more about the man of her past, she needed to save her man of her present and future.

Speaking a quiet thanks to him, she turned and dashed away as fast as her feet could carry her.

She skirted the villages where she could, not wanting to endanger the people there with her scent that Hinkotsu's lackeys could track and give them any more reason to slaughter the innocent.

With the exception of two brief stops to acquire food, Rina did not stop. She was too afraid of losing any second that she didn't have to and arriving too late to save her mate. However, by the second night, when she started to reach territory that looked a little familiar, she had to collapse from sheer exhaustion. As much as she hated to have to stop, she knew that she'd be absolutely no good against Hinkotsu if she could barely lift a hand because of how she'd run herself to the breaking point. She didn't want to sleep for fear of what her dreams would show her tonight; fearing that this time Sessho Maru would be dead.

As Rina drifted off to sleep, she sent out a heartfelt prayer to whoever of the gods might be listening, praying that she would not be too late to save her mate.

"I don't care what happens to me," she whispered as a tear of longing and despair slid from the corner of her eye. "I don't care, just please let him be alright. Please don't let me be too late."

With one last shuddering sigh of exhaustion, she fell asleep.

**Sessho Maru was dying. Rina's heart clenched with grief as she saw him in his cell. The bear had put him through unspeakable torture. He was trying to hang on, but his injuries were too extensive. He was unconscious now, yet he stood before her. His body was broken almost beyond recognition, yet his spirit was untouched. It was becoming more solid as his body continued to fade from life.**

**Rina threw herself sobbing into his arms. He was cold.**

"**Please, Sessho, please hang on!" she wailed, feeling herself starting to fall apart. "I'm almost there, just please hang on!"**

"**Shhh," he soothed her quietly as he stroked her hair. "He's draining me, Rina." He pulled back and cupped her face lovingly in his hands. "I'm trying, my love." Shame overcame Sessho Maru's face then. He'd never been defeated before by anyone. The only one who had ever come close was his own half brother, Inu Yasha, back when they'd been enemies. That had been what provoked his meeting with the little girl, Rin, the little girl who had stolen his heart. And now here was was, bloodied and broken by a demon who wouldn't normally have been able to bring him to his knees.**

**Rina saw the truth. "You let him do this to you."**

**Sessho Maru's eyes shadowed. "He told me that if I surrendered myself to him to do whatever with me that he willed, that he would spare you. We made the pact in blood; if he breaks it, his life will be forfeit."**

"**How could you?!" Rina screamed at him in a voice that was cracked by grief and hoarse with exhaustion. "How could you just give up like that?!"**

"**Shhh," he soothed her again. "I couldn't let him hurt you, my love. Rina, you're my mate. It is not only my duty to you as your mate to protect you, but it is what my love for you and my honor demands. I have worked too hard to protect you and keep you safe to let that bastard ever get his hands on you. I would gladly suffer this so long as you don't have to."**

"**I can't lose you!" Rina was weeping in earnest now. "If I lose you, I'll die anyway! I can't live without you, Sessho Maru!" She was starting to become hysterical. All control was gone; all the emotions that she'd kept so tightly reigned in since she first discovered that he'd been taken by Hinkotsu were now unleashed in full, passionate force.**

**Sessho Maru held her quietly as she cried.**

"**You can't ask me to live without you, Sessho Maru, you can't! You can't sacrifice yourself like this! I won't let you!"**

"**Is it any different than what you're trying to do?" he asked gently. "I know what you prayed to the gods before you fell asleep. You would sacrifice yourself for me too, which would mean that I would be left behind to mourn you as well."**

"**Then let me die with you! I don't care, I just want to be with you!" Rina looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Please don't make me have to go on without you, Sessho Maru!"**

**He didn't answer her. Instead, he leaned in and captured her lips in the most forceful, passionate kiss he'd ever given her. His tongue swept fiercely into her mouth, devouring her for what she knew was the last time. This was his goodbye to her. She whimpered with desperation, clinging to him with all the strength she had, determined to give him some of her own so that he could just hang on long enough for her to reach him.**

**Sessho Maru abruptly broke the kiss off. He kissed her forehead briefly before putting his hand over her eyes. "Sleep," he whispered.**

**Rina sank into oblivion.**

Rina sat up abruptly, tears still streaming out of her eyes. Trying to force down her panic, she leaped to her feet, reoriented herself as to the direction, and started to run. As she ran, she became aware of a red-headed blur beside her.

"You didna think that I'd really let ya go an' face that Hinkotsu bastard by yerself, did ya?" Alexander asked.

Rina shot him a grateful smile. "I need all the help that I can get. Sessho Maru is dying." Rina's heart gave a painful seize as she said it and she felt the grief rising up to choke her.

"Easy, lass," Alexander said. "Ya must keep yer focus an' keep yer emotions under control. When you lose your head, ye're finished."

As they reached the height of their speed, Rina fought to stuff down her rage and grief, trying to find that cold, calm, emotionless state she'd clung to over the past couple of days. Miraculously, she found it and she felt her head beginning to clear.

"Aye, lass, tha's it," Alexander hollered encouragement. "Just focus on what you need to do, lass! The rest will be sorted out later!"

A potent rage began to boil in Rina's demon blood. No uncontrolled rage was this. No, this was the deep rage of someone who had a score to settle. Rather than causing her to fall apart again, it fueled Rina to speeds that she had never reached before. She even began to leave Alexander in her dust.

Alexander didn't ask her to slow down. He didn't want to break this. The faster they got there, the better. He'd merely have to keep up and if he couldn't, he'd just follow her scent like he'd done when he'd awoken to find that she'd already left. It was a miracle that he'd been able to catch up to her to begin with. If she hadn't taken that rest, he probably wouldn't have caught up with her at all.

They ran without speaking, but they didn't have to speak. He could sense her emotions and occasionally caught snatches of her silent prayers and her thoughts. Her intense love for her mate was overwhelming. It struck his empathic heart and at times he had to tamp down the worry and grief he felt emanating from her.

Rina lost all track of time. All she knew was that she couldn't stop running. She wished she could fly like Sessho Maru, but that wasn't one of the gifts that she had from him. He'd tried to teach her, but she just didn't have it. It wasn't one of his abilities that were also given to her when they'd mated. So, she just had to content herself with running as fast and hard and long as she could.

Several hours later, Rina drew up short. She knew this scent. Alexander stopped beside her as she took in a long, deep breath.

"The village," she whispered to him.

"Wha' village, lass?" he whispered back.

"This is the village that Sessho Maru found me at. I was on the slave auction block."

Alexander's mouth hardened into a grim line. "Then we must no' be tha' far away."

Rina shook her head. "We should be there soon."

They skirted carefully around the village. Rina climbed into the trees and stealthily leaped from tree to tree, never rustling a branch, just like Sessho Maru had taught her.

She caught a faint whiff of Hinkotsu's scent. It was so firmly ingrained in her memory, she discovered, that even with Hinkotsu disguising his scent, she could still smell him.

"This way," she whispered to Alexander. He nodded silently as he followed her.

Another two hours later, the bear's castle loomed before them. Not a traditional Japanese castle, it was more styled after European design. Rina had never forgotten this place. Never completely forgotten the horrors she had experienced here. Her dreams wouldn't let her. _**And now he's putting my mate through them. **_ Her heart wrung with anguish and rage. _**I've got to find him. Please hang on, Sessho Maru, I'm almost there.**_

Praying silently again to any god or goddess that would hear her, she skulked around the castle until she found the slave entrances. She wondered if there was anyone left here that she'd known while she'd been a slave here.

Silently as she could, she made her way through the castle. Before coming in, she had put on a fresh pair of scent-concealing clothes in hopes that that would help not make her scent apparent to Hinkotsu very quickly. Ideally, she wanted to get Sessho Maru out without Hinkotsu finding them. She still wanted to fight him, but she wanted to take care of her mate first. However, she knew that scenario was unlikely.

_**Wha's th' plan, lass?**_ she heard Alexander ask in her head.

_**Admittedly, I'm just making this up as I go along. The plan is to just get my mate and get the hell out of here alive. **_She heard his chuckle rumble through her mind.

_**Aye, but any ideas as to how to execute?**_

_**Not a clue.**_

Rina closed her eyes and telepathically felt out the lay of the castle, searching for her beloved mate. When they got down to the dungeons, they found themselves peeking around a corner to see a whole guard of Hinkotsu's minions guarding a door.

_**Looks to be around 60 of them**_, Rina thought at Alexander.

_**Shouldn't be too hard**_, he replied.

_**Perhaps not, but I'd be willing to bet that if we don't dispatch them quickly enough, they're meant to raise an alarm if we show up.**_

_**Aye. 'Tis a most likely certainty.**_

_**Then we're going to have to kill them as quickly as possible to prevent that.**_

_**Leave it to me**_, Alexander assured her. Counting to himself for a moment, he then stepped around the corner and before any of the guard could make a sound, he blasted an energy bolt that knocked them all unconscious. Rina rushed forward over the unconscious forms of the fallen and looked through the door. Sessho Maru was indeed in that cell.

She called upon her energy to manifest an energy sword and slashed through the door with it. She used her telekinesis to make sure that the door halves didn't make any noise as they fell to the floor. She moved cautiously into the cell. When she caught Sessho Maru's scent, she rushed forward.

Her heart shattered as she reached his side. He was barely breathing. His scent was diminishing. Diminishing the way that her adoptive mother's had when she was dying of cancer. Diminishing the way that her first crush's was when she visited him in the hospital after a car accident had put him in a coma.

Sessho Maru was dying. Silent tears poured down her face as she took her mate's face into her hands.

"Sessho Maru?" she whispered. He didn't respond. He looked like he was asleep. He was fading. She looked at the rest of his body and had to bite back cries of dismay. His ribs were sticking out at odd angles under his skin. Undoubtedly some of them had pierced vital organs. His shallow breathing had a rattle to it that frightened her. Her unbeatable mate had been beaten and tortured beyond endurance. It was more than she could bear.

"I've got to get him out of here," she whispered to Alexander, her voice trembling with the effort it was taking not to completely fall apart.

Alexander hoisted Sessho Maru's unconscious form onto his back. "You'll have ta lead the way, lass. I canna carry him and fight at the same time."

Rina nodded. "I don't care what happens, you get him out of here. If I get held up, you get him out of here and don't worry about me. Not 'til he's safe. You understand?"

"Aye. Dinna you worry. I'llna fail ya."

They started the trek to escape the castle. Unfortunately, this was definitely going to be harder. The castle was starting to come alive with slaves waking up to do their duties. Rina knew that if any of the slaves were to espy them emerging from the dungeon area, they'd be given up in a heartbeat. The slaves were too afraid of Hinkotsu not to do his bidding. Rina used her abilities as much as possible to try to alter the perceptions of anyone who might cross their path, but she was shaky in that ability.

Then a poor girl, hustling to start some laundry, practically ran around the corner and smacked right into Rina. Rina recognized her at once. The girl recognized her too. Shiuza had been one of the women for whom Rina had been a midwife. They stared at each other fearfully for a moment, Shiuza looking like she was about to start screaming an alert at any second.

"Shiuza, please!," Rina hissed desperately.

"I'm sorry, Rina," she whispered, distress coloring her features. "I have no choice. If I don't and it is found out that I helped you, I will be killed and then who is going to watch over my baby? I already lost my husband from helping you, I can't lose the rest of my family."

Rina's brows knit together in confusion. "What do you mean? Your husband is dead?"

Shiuza's eyes clouded with fresh grief. "He was killed when he smuggled you out of here to that slave auction. We saw how far gone you were, so he'd had it arranged that you were to help him take some vegetables to the market and there was where he'd had you taken by a contact that was supposed to take you as far away as possible. He was killed by Lord Hinkotsu's men before he even got home."

Rina's eyes clouded with pain. "Then don't sacrifice anymore for me. Sound the alarm and we'll just get out as best we can." Before she ran past her old friend, she said, "I am so sorry for all of your loss." She ran ahead of Alexander, who followed closely behind. They'd gotten around two corners before they heard the keening shriek of Shiuza calling for aid and saying which way they'd gone. Rina unsheathed her sword, ready to cut down anyone and anything that tried to stop them as they ran hell bent for leather for the nearest exit.

A group of about 15 soldiers came around the corner and started running at them down the long corridor. Rina brandished her sword at them and in a series of fantastic spins, kicks, slashes, and stabs she dispatched them in a matter of seconds. They ran into a couple more groups that Rina dealt with in the same manner before they got to the exit. Once out of the castle, Rina had Alexander run ahead so that she could protect him from the back. It didn't take long for them to be miles away from the castle where Rina felt that it would be alright to stop for a moment. She wanted to check on Sessho Maru. Her heart clenched rapidly with fear as they laid him down on the ground.

Rina took Sessho Maru's face in her hands. His skin was cool to the touch. "Sessho Maru!" she cried as she shook him, trying to wake him. He didn't move for several moments. His breaths were shallow and labored. Finally his eyes opened a little. His normally-golden eyes were now almost completely colorless and almost completely drained of life.

"Sessho Maru," she said his name again. He looked at her, but it didn't really look like he was seeing her. His eyes looked very out of focus.

"Rina" he rasped. "You came for me."

Her eyes blurred with tears. "Of course I came for you, love. I told you I would find you."

A weak smile crossed Sessho Maru's parched lips. "I knew you would."

Rina leaned down to kiss him. He didn't even have the strength to kiss her back. "Please don't leave me, Sessho Maru," she wept. "Please don't make me lose you."

"I don't think I have anything left, Firefly," he whispered weakly. "You still have to face Lord Hinkotsu. You'll never have any peace from him if you don't."

"I can't do this without you," Rina cried harder. "I can't do anything without you beside me."

Another smile softened Sessho Maru's suffering features. "Of course you can, Rina. I've taught you everything you need to survive. You're the most amazing warrior I've ever trained. You can beat him, I know you can." His breathing became more labored and convulsive.

"I love you, Rina. You gave me what no one else could."

Rina was weeping uncontrollably.

"You gave me peace and you taught me how to let go of my hate. You taught me to care again."

"I love you, Sessho Maru!" Rina cried with desperation, trying to will her strength and life force into him, willing him to live; to not leave her. It was all for naught, as Sessho Maru took a couple of shaky breaths and as he breathed out, he became completely silent. Rina stared at him, completely at a loss. She waited for his chest to rise and fall again, but nothing happened. She looked desperately at Alexander, who looked as unknowing of what to do as she did.

"No," she whispered hoarsely as she looked back at her mate. "No," she said again as her heart splintered. She drew in a ragged breath that expelled loudly as she shrieked out her grief. She cradled Sessho Maru's body in her arms as she wept, begging him to come back. The pain was so immense she thought she might drown in it. Memory after memory played uncontrollably through her mind as she cried. Memories of their first meeting, their first kiss, the first time they made love when he asked her to be his. Memories of him watching her sing with her band, memories of snuggling on her couch and watching movies, memories of when he'd rescued her, memories of the months she'd had to be without him. None of that pain even came close to this agony. She couldn't breathe. She would surely die from this.

Hours went by as she continued to cradle him in her arms, smoothing the hair on his head. Her muscles were screaming from the uncomfortable effort of maintaining their position. She didn't notice. She didn't care. Her physical discomfort was minute in the face of the soul-rending agony she felt.

Then the face of Hinkotsu came to her mind. A numbing rage began to overtake her. She looked up from the face of her beloved to Alexander, who'd been standing several yards away as she'd been grieving. He walked toward her. She didn't even need to say anything.

"I'll take him home, lass. I know where t' find his brother. You settle this."

Rina nodded.

"Are ya sure that you dinna want me there?" he asked.

Rina shook her head. "This is up to me. Win or lose, stand or fall, this ends now and it ends with me."

Alexander nodded. "Then I wish ya the best o' luck, lass. I pray that you come out of this victorious."

"I don't," Rina said flatly. "I'll kill the bastard, make no mistake, but I don't want to come out of this at all."

Alexander's face looked worried, but he said nothing. What could be said? She'd just lost her mate. How was life supposed to be preferable to death at this point?

Alexander gathered Sessho Maru's body gently into his arms. "Regardless, lass, I wish you the best. What shall I tell his family?"

Rina's eyes squeezed shut as she fought back another tidal wave of grief. "Tell them---" she took another shuddering breath. "Tell them that he fell by Hinkotsu's hand, that he died bravely and with all the dignity that he had in life. Tell them that his mate will avenge him without fail."

Alexander gave her a nod, and with no further words, he turned in the direction of Kaede's village. He broke into a speedy run and in a matter of seconds he was out of Rina's eyesight.

Rina turned to face the direction of Hinkotsu's castle. A twinge of fear gripped her heart momentarily, but she forced it away. She had nothing left to lose, why should she be afraid?

Steeling her resolve, she started toward the castle, toward Hinkotsu, toward her demise.


	19. Chapter 18: Stand My Ground

**The songs utilized in this chapter are "Our Farewell" and "Stand My Ground", both done by the amazing band, Within Temptation. Seriously, if you've never heard them before, get your butts over to .com , look them up and listen to them while you read. Totally adds to it. ^_^ And that's an order!! XD**

* * *

Rina paused momentarily when Hinkotsu's castle came back into view. Steeling herself for what was to come, she then strode forward, the resolve to avenge her fallen mate erasing any fears that she might have had left. She walked right up to the front gates. She stopped in front of one of the guards.

"Take me to Lord Hinkotsu," she ordered in a clipped tone.

The guard gave her a confused look. "Who are you and why do you demand to see m'lord?"

"I am the runaway slave he has been searching for," she snapped.

The guard blanched. He looked at the other guard for a hesitant second.

"Just take me to him," she said impatiently. "You already know that if you don't, your life will be forfeit, so just do it."

The guard brandished a pair of shackles and clipped them over her wrists. She followed him without question as the other guard took up the rear. Two more guards took their place before they got into the castle. They led her through several wending corridors and down to the dungeons. They passed Shiuza on the way, who dropped her jaw as she saw Rina bound in her chains. Rina looked her full in the eyes for a moment, hoping that Shiuza didn't think this was her fault. Then she averted her gaze to look straight ahead.

They put Rina in one of the cells before they went to alert Hinkotsu that she was there. Rina sank down to the floor as she waited. She thought of her mate, mind still spinning over his loss. The heaviness came on her again and she longed to cry. Grief intermingled with hate caused her to tremble. She closed her eyes, trying to summon up her calm and courage. But all that she seemed able to do was see Sessho Maru's dying form and mourn all the dreams she'd had for them that had crumbled in the fist of the bear demon.

She heard a rustle and the click of the lock. She looked up, expecting to see Hinkotsu's form taking up the doorway. Instead, it was Shiuza.

"What are you doing here, Shiuza?" Rina asked gently. "You shouldn't be here."

"Why did you come back?" Shiuza asked. "Do you not realize that by being here, you have made my husband's death to be in vain?"

"I'm here to avenge my mate, whom Hinkotsu killed," Rina said coolly.

"You can't beat him, Rina," Shiuza said desperately. "If you could, then we wouldn't have had to smuggle you out of here in the state that you were in."

"There are things that you don't know about me, Shiuza," Rina said simply.

Shiuza gave her a confused look.

Rina called upon some of her abilities. Her eyes changed red, her claws lengthened, and her fangs descended. Shiuza gasped and stumbled back a couple of steps.

"I'm not human," Rina said quietly. "And my mate trained me well. Whether I win or lose, it does not matter. Hinkotsu dies today, and everyone that he's ever hurt and wronged shall be avenged." Rina became her normal human self again. "Leave, Shiuza. I don't want you caught in the middle of this. Get out of here and don't look back."

Shiuza nodded. "I wish you luck, Rina," she said before she walked out of the door.

Rina was once again consigned to wait for the arrival of the cruel bear demon lord. She ended up falling asleep and dreaming of her mate.

_**She was seeing him on the beach for the first time. A handsome, silver-haired stranger advancing to her. His eyes had been the color of melted gold.**_

_In my head a legacy of memories  
I can hear you say my name_

_**She was laying in his arms, feeling the warmth of him against her bare skin. His eyes blazed with love as he asked her, "Rina? Will you be my mate?"**_

_I can almost see your smile  
Feel the warmth of your embrace_

_**She was in his arms as he carried her into her apartment, talking amiably about what to do for the evening. They were snuggling on the couch as they watched movies together. She'd fallen asleep in the comfort and shelter of his arms.**_

_But there is nothing but silence now__  
Around the one I loved  
Is this our farewell?_

_**She was on the beach writing her songs, pouring out her loneliness at having to be apart from him. She was performing "I Do" at the beach club, pretending that he was sitting there listening to her sing out her heart just for him.**_

_Sweet darling, you worry too much,  
__My child, such sadness in your eyes  
You are not alone in life  
Although you might think that you are_

_**He was comforting her through her fears of him dying. "Know this, Rina. I will forever love you. My love for you is so strong that, even if anything should happen to me, I will still always be with you."**_

_Never thought this day would come so soon  
We had no time to say goodbye  
How can the world just carry on?  
I feel so lost when you're not at my side_

_**She was cradling his dying body to her, begging and pleading with him to not leave her. He was telling her that he loved her and how blessed he'd been to have had her love; that she'd made him a better person, she'd taught him to care again.**_

_But there is nothing but silence now  
Around the one I loved  
Is this our farewell?_

_**She was weeping over Sessho Maru's still form, her heart rending itself into pieces over the loss of her mate, her beloved. Her one true love.**_

_Sweet darling, you worry too much  
My child, such sadness in your eyes  
You are not alone in life  
Although you might think that you are_

"_**You still have to face Lord Hinkotsu. You'll never have any peace from him if you don't," he rasped at her, desperate for her to realize what she still needed to do.**_

"_**I can't do this without you," she wept uncontrollably. "I can't do anything without you beside me."**_

_So sorry your world is tumbling down  
I will watch you through these nights  
Rest your head and go to sleep  
'Cause, my child, this is not our farewell  
This is not our farewell_

_**She felt Sessho Maru behind her, a loving whisper at her back. "I will always be here with you. You won't face Hinkotsu alone."**_

_**She turned around, but found herself still utterly alone.**_

Rina jarred awake when she again her the scratching sound of a key turning in the lock of her prison cell. This time the sight that she expected was what walked through the door. Lord Hinkotsu stepped into her cell with all the swaggering arrogance of someone who'd won a great victory. Rina looked him full in the eyes. Suddenly she was no longer afraid. No, she welcomed this. She couldn't friggin' wait for the battle to start. She didn't care what happened to her. She just wanted to plunge her blade into Hinkotsu's black heart and dance in his blood.

"You don't look like the runaway slave," Hinkotsu spoke to her. "But you smell like her."

"Oh, trust me, it's me," Rina snapped, drawing herself to her full height. She saw one of Hinkotsu's pointed ears twitch in confusion. He definitely wasn't used to a mere slave addressing him in such a manner.

"What do you want?" Hinkotsu demanded. "Why did you come back? You could have stayed away. You could have gone back to your modern era and never had to look at my face again. Why would you do something so stupid as to come back here to face me?"

Rina's lips drew back in a snarl. "You killed my mate. You have slaughtered many innocents merely to recover a slave. You have taken everything I've ever loved. You have hurt people enough. I am here to stop you."

Hinkotsu threw back his head and laughed heartily. "And how do you propose to do that? I highly doubt you'll be able to do much against me with those shackles on."

Without breaking her gaze from his horrid face, Rina brought her hands up, showing him that she indeed was shackled. Then with barely any effort, she pulled her hands apart and summoned up an energy bolt to break them off her wrists.

"Oh, you mean _these_ shackles?" she sneered as they fell next to her feet in pieces. She got a slight bit of satisfaction over the way that Hinkotsu's eyes widened minutely in surprise. "You're right, Hinkotsu, I _am_ part demon. I am Katrina Kendall-Miyazuki, descendant of Alexander MacTaggart, wife and mate of Lord Sessho Maru and Lady of the Western Lands. And you are in _deep_ shit," she snarled. She didn't mind that Hinkotsu wasn't looking overly impressed. She didn't mind being underestimated. That was something else that would work in her favor. She just needed to make sure that she didn't underestimate Hinkotsu either.

Her sword had been confiscated, of course, when she'd been taken prisoner, so it gave her another delicious bit of smug satisfaction to see Hinkotsu's eyes widen in sincere surprise when she summoned up an energy sword and brandished it at him. Then his eyes flashed at her and his fangs dropped.

"So it begins," he snarled. "I'm going to make you wish that you'd never laid eyes on me.

"Much too late for that," Rina retorted back, her own fangs dropping and her eyes flashing red. "Rather, I'm going to make _you_ wish that you'd never lifted a claw to hurt a single person, much less me or my mate."

Hinkotsu rushed forward and the battle was on.

_I can see when you stay low nothing happens  
It doesn't feel right  
Late at night, things I thought I put behind me  
Haunt my mind_

Hinkotsu flashed his claws and swiped at her. Rina deflected easily with her sword. She swiped, parried, and slashed her sword with one hand while her other hand found their mark in Hinkotsu's skin, eagerly releasing their venom with every strike. Rina let her energy sword dissipate after a few minutes. She wanted the satisfaction of ripping him apart with her bare hands.

_I just know there's no escape now  
Once it's set its eyes on you  
But I won't run, have to stare it in the eyes_

Hinkotsu blasted past her defense and grabbed her by the neck and shoved her up off her feet against the wall. Her eyes sparked hatred down at him as she fought his hold. His was an iron grasp that she was having trouble budging.

_Stand my ground, I won't give in  
No more denying  
I gotta face it_

"Your mate died like a pathetic newborn pup," Hinkotsu sneered at her. "He made no move to fight back; instead he remained on his knees to beg me for your life." His grip tightened on her throat. "Sessho Maru wasn't fit to bear the title of demon much less the title of 'Lord'."

Rina's eyes burned blindingly red with rage at the insult toward her beloved dead. She grasped him by the wrist and sank her venomous claws in and flexed.

_Won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside  
If I don't make it, someone else will  
Stand my ground_

As Hinkotsu's hold broke, she landed on her feet and dealt him a swift kick to his midsection, a powerful palm-hand to his nose, and, for her own amusement, kicked him about as hard between the legs as she could with all the strength that her demon blood imbued her. She couldn't help an evil laugh as she saw the pain that she caused him.

_It's all around  
Getting stronger, coming closer  
Into my world_

Hinkotsu's rage doubled then. As he recovered from the blow to his scrotum, his size doubled though he wasn't to the point of transformation yet. Rina rushed him and he caught her up and slammed her harshly into the ground, knocking the wind out of her. Sessho Maru had trained her well for such instances, thankfully. She rolled quickly to get out from under the foot that was assuredly going to be trying to stomp her while she was down.

_I can feel that it's time for me to face it  
Cannot take it_

She rolled once more in a fashion that made it possible to lash her foot out and swipe Hinkotsu's feet right out from under him. She froze momentarily as she heard the softest of voices whisper through her mind.

**_Rina, you cannot defeat him here in such tight quarters. You need to lure him outside._** Rina's heart clenched in grief at Sessho Maru's precious voice. How she longed for him to be here! She knew that if Sessho Maru were here fighting Hinkotsu with her, they'd be invincible together. She'd never thought that she'd be here fighting Hinkotsu alone.

_Though this might just be the ending  
Of this life I held so dear  
But I won't run  
There's no turning back from here_

Rina obeyed Sessho Maru's voice. While Hinkotsu was momentarily incapacitated, she lunged out of the room and dashed for the nearest exit. Hinkotsu was hot on her heels, roaring like a crazed animal in rage from the fact that he was having trouble defeating such a wisp of a woman, even a demon one.

Rina realized, with horror, that Hinkotsu was faster than what she'd given him credit for. After she'd lunged up a couple flights of stairs as fast as she was able, she'd started to pick up speed when Hinkotsu grabbed her around the waist with one massive paw and slung her with bone-crushing force through the stone wall of the castle to land on the grass outside. The pain caused her to see stars. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced. She tried to get her bearings but the world just refused to stop spinning and she thought her head might split open from the ringing in her ears.

_Stand my ground, I won't give in  
No more denying  
I gotta face it  
Won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside  
If I don't make it, someone else will  
Stand my ground_

Hinkotsu landed on the grass beside her and proceeded to grab her and throw her into a tree trunk. Rina gasped for the air that got forced from her lungs and tried to climb onto her feet. She saw the great, hulking bear form of Hinkotsu lunging toward her but she couldn't make her muscles cooperate with her to get out of the way. Hinkotsu lifted one enormous paw with those claws the size of butcher knives and slashed her, knocking her about twenty feet as she uttered a scream of pain.

Rina felt like she was dying. Something warm and sticky was soaking her from wounds all over her body. The worst one felt like someone had knocked her in the chest with a wrecking ball. Her eyes bleary, she looked down at her chest and gaped dumbly at the enormous hole torn there. She could see her own bones and the organs being barely protected by her ribs. Then the pain caught up to her after the shock of seeing her own insides. She thought she might pass out from it. She gasped and struggled for breath. Out of the corners of her eyes, she could see Hinkotsu hulking toward her to finish the job.

_All I know for sure is I'm trying  
I will always stand my ground_

Time stopped. Rina was in a meadow filled with brilliant wildflowers. She was in Sessho Maru's arms again. She looked happily up at him. All was right with the world. Nothing else mattered but that they were together. He looked smiling into her eyes. He gave her a kiss while speaking in her head.

_**Wake up, Firefly. You're not done yet. You can still beat him. Now is the time that you need to transform and you will have him.**_

Before Rina could even protest, time resumed. Hinkotsu was getting closer.

_Stand my ground, I won't give in  
I won't give up_

Suddenly she had a vision of him hurting Sessho Maru and the potent rage overtook her. She didn't even realize what she was doing, but Hinkotsu skidded to a sudden stop as she became the tiger.

_No more denying  
I gotta face it  
Won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside  
If I don't make it, someone else will_

She was enormous. Still not quite as big as Hinkotsu, but it hardly mattered. She was fifteen feet tall just on all fours; she would be almost ten feet taller if she reared up on her hind legs. Her paws were almost five feet in diameter. Her claws were every bit as deadly as Hinkotsu's. She was still wounded, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except for the blazing, hot power she felt screaming through her entire being. The hole in her chest might as well have been a paper cut for all that she noticed it.

Hinkotsu stood on his hind legs and roared threateningly at her as she stalked toward him with a deadly, menacing lope before breaking into a full charge. She leaped.

_Stand my ground, I won't give in  
No more denying  
I gotta face it  
Won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside  
If I don't made it, someone else will  
Stand my ground_

Hinkotsu caught her and threw her to the ground, but her claws hooked right into him and brought him down on top of her. Her claws held him nearly immobile as her back legs began to kick. The claws in her back feet shredded through his stomach and his blood spilled all over her, but she didn't stop. As Hinkotsu threw his head back to roar in pain, she snapped her neck forward and her four-foot-long fangs sliced through the skin of his throat and clamped down. Her back feet continued to kick. Her feet began to tangle in the ropes that were his intestines as she gutted him like a fish on top of her. Her rage caused her jaws to clamp shut like a vice grip and his carotid snapped like a guitar string. His blood gushed into her mouth and she whipped her head from side to side violently until she heard the sickening snap and the feel of his body going completely limp, signifying that she'd succeeded in breaking his neck.

She kicked him one last time to get his putrid corpse off of her. Her rage was still burning, seething. It was not satisfied. She fell upon Hinkotsu's body and proceeded to dismember the bear until her rage was exhausted. By the time she was done, there was nothing recognizable about the once powerful demon lord. She looked all around and saw the frightened onlookers. She gave a deafening roar that had them all jumping back.

Finally, she collapsed. She felt herself diminishing back to her human form. She half-expected the mob to rush in on her and finish killing her. Instead there was a momentary silence that was deafening. Next thing she knew, a massive cheer broke out amongst the onlookers that had witnessed the demise of the cruel bear demon that had made their lives a living hell.

Rina weakly lifted her head to see Shiuza, her baby in her arms, lean down next to her. Rina's voice was barely a whisper. "They are avenged," was all that she said before she fell into the welcoming arms of unconsciousness.

_**She hoped that she was dead. She didn't want this to be a dream. She was back in that meadow with Sessho Maru. Her head was laying on his lap and he was stroking her hair. She breathed in his scent with happiness and relief. She'd missed him so much!**_

"_**Is it really over?" she asked him. "Is Lord Hinkotsu really dead?"**_

_**Sessho Maru gave her a loving smile. "He is. You did wonderful, my love. You utilized your training beautifully. I couldn't be prouder of you."**_

_**Rina smiled peacefully.**_

_**Suddenly Sessho Maru jumped like he was startled and he gave a gasp, clutching at his chest.**_

"_**Sessho Maru?! What's wrong?" Rina cried.**_

Rina awoke, disoriented. She was in a bed and she was hooked up to machines. No one was in the hospital room with her. Her brows knit together in confusion. How had she managed to get back to the modern era?

The door to her hospital room opened up and the first face she saw was Kuri. Kagome followed along with Inu Yasha, who was disguised in some modern clothes and a baseball cap.

"You're awake!" Kuri cried. Rina continued to look at them in confusion.

"How--" she began, but found that she couldn't really talk for the tube going down her throat into her stomach.

"You've been in here two weeks," Kagome said softly. "Inu Yasha, Miroku, Sango, and that Alexander MacTaggart went after you after he...well, after he showed up with Sessho Maru."

Rina's eyes clenched closed as fresh pain assailed her.

"The village people took care of you as best they could. You were actually healing pretty good for being so torn up," Inu Yasha said quietly.

_**What was done with Sessho Maru?**_ Rina asked Inu Yasha mentally.

Inu Yasha's eyes lowered. "Well, we were going to have a funeral pyre for him, but before we could, that crazy fool, Toto Sai, showed up on his bull and demanded that we relinquish Sessho Maru's body to him."

Rina's ears twitched at the mention of the long-absent maker of the Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga. _**What did he want with him?**_

"I don't know," Inu Yasha admitted. "I didn't want to let him have him, but Kagome compelled me to trust him. We haven't heard a thing since."

Silent tears ran out of the corners of Rina's eyes. _**He's really gone, isn't he?**_ Her eyes closed as she began to weep in earnest. She heard the protesting beeps and alarms on the machines, but she didn't care. What did she have left now? Her mate was gone and life could not be even remotely as worth living as it was when she had Sessho Maru by her side. Kagome and Kuri both leaned in to embrace her in an attempt to comfort her. Yet they both seemed to know that there was nothing that could really comfort her now.

The doctor came into the room. He checked Rina's monitors before asking her, "Do you need some more medicine to sleep?"

"Could you?" Rina rasped around the tube.

The doctor checked her chart. "Well, we could probably give you a little bit, but we can't be giving you very much."

"Why not?" Kuri asked.

"Well, that could harm the baby," the doctor answered matter-of-factly.

Every eye in the room snapped at attention.

"The...baby?" Rina asked.

"Yes," the doctor said. "You didn't know that you're pregnant?"

Rina's throat closed chokingly as she shook her head.

"Really, it's amazing that you didn't miscarry after all you've been through. Anyone else would have miscarried if they'd been through a wild animal attack. You're not the only one lucky to still be alive. That baby must have something special in its future."

Rina barely heard him. She was pregnant? She was carrying a piece of her and Sessho Maru? Her eyes welled over. Perhaps life might be a little worth living after all.

_**Please ask him how far along I am, Inu Yasha**_, she asked silently.

"How far along is she?" Inu Yasha asked per her request.

"From what we could tell, she looks to be about four weeks along......."

Rina didn't hear anything else after that. The small dose of sleeping medication they'd injected into her IV took affect and she drifted off to sleep again.

_**She was in the meadow again. She wanted to find Sessho Maru and tell him of what she'd just discovered. He was nowhere to be found. Confused, Rina looked everywhere, her heart clenching in panic. The meadow was utterly deserted.**_


	20. Chapter 19: Miracles

Rina awoke again several hours later, her heart breaking all over again. _**You said you'd always be with me**_, she wept inwardly. Then her thoughts turned toward her newly-discovered pregnancy. She knew exactly when it was that she and Sessho Maru had conceived.

Kuri had asked them and the other band members if they'd like to go out for a night on the town. She'd begged Sessho Maru and he'd reluctantly gone along with it. They'd gone to a favorite techno club and Rina, Kuri, and Ryuko had had a lot of fun dancing together on the dance floor. Rina had been unable to get Sessho Maru out there very much. He'd joined her for some slow dances, but otherwise he'd seemed quite content to stand on the sidelines and watch her dance. So Rina would throw herself into the dances. She was a natural and her swaying and grinding hips, her undulating body, and her seductive moves had Sessho Maru standing there with a dry mouth and a noticeable bulge in his pants. Rina had loved it. Especially when, at one point in the evening, Sessho Maru strode onto the dance floor, grabbed Rina by her wrists, and respectfully yet tightly asked the rest of them to excuse them for the evening. They'd laughed knowingly and wished them good night.

Rina had giggled to herself as Sessho Maru slung her over his shoulder and hauled ass to her apartment. He'd slammed the door, hauled her down from his shoulders, and pinned her roughly to the door with a growl of "seductive wench" before kissing the daylights out of her. She'd laughed as he ravished her neck after he'd hurriedly yanked her shirt off. She reveled in how much he desired for her and knowing that she desired him just as much.

After he'd ridden her of her clothes, he'd tenderly picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom where he'd laid her on the bed and spent the night making slow, tender, passionate love to her. His virility and stamina never ceased to amaze Rina; how he could make love to her countless times in a row without even showing any signs of weariness. She had loved how much he'd craved her and how he took what he wanted and needed while making sure to give her the same. They'd reveled in their sex life.

That night, Rina had started to feel strange after their second round, but she never could put her finger on it. She'd just felt different. Now she knew why. She just wondered why neither she nor Sessho Maru had realized it before this. Usually they could scent it when someone was pregnant. He'd caught the scent of it on Kagome, why wouldn't he on her? Why hadn't Inu Yasha for that matter?

_**Maybe it's because I'm not fully human**_, she thought to herself. Lonely tears streamed out the corners of her eyes as a fresh stab of grief for Sessho Maru caused her heart to shatter all over again. She wanted to die. **_But I'll live for you, little baby_**, she thought to the tiny little person growing within her. _**You're all I've got left.**_

After Rina woke up from another nap, Kagome visited her again. That was when Rina took the chain from around her neck that carried the last shard of the Sacred Jewel. Kagome eyed her with confusion.

"I can't go back, Kagome," Rina said softly. "There's too many memories there. I need to find a way to move on and heal so that I can carry on for the baby."

Kagome nodded sadly. She understood. "I'll still visit you," she promised. "If you ever want this shard back, all you have to do is ask."

Rina gave a melancholy smile. "Thank you, Kagome, but I kinda doubt it."

"I know, but the offer is still there just in case."

Rina, due to a speedy recovery that had the doctors amazed, got to go home three days later. Kuri drove her to her apartment.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Kuri asked softly? Kuri had cried with her many times since she had found out about Sessho Maru's death. She knew that being alone in that apartment right now was probably the last thing that Rina needed.

Rina turned to her and nodded. Kuri did, indeed, know her too well.

One week later, Rina packed up everything in the apartment and moved to a little 2-bedroom house not too far away from the beach. Kuri took Rina on many shopping trips to furnish the little nursery. They were nice, momentary distractions, but even Kuri could tell that ultimately Sessho Maru's death still haunted her. She might seem better sometimes, but when the distraction was over or if there was something that reminded her of Sessho Maru, Kuri would watch the smiles fade off of Rina's face and the grief rip itself afresh into her heart all over again. It broke Kuri's heart to see her best friend so distraught. She grieved Sessho Maru's death too. He'd really become one of them and they had all loved him. But she knew that none of them could feel his loss like Rina did.

She literally looked as though she were half dead; as though the only reason she were alive was because of the child she carried. Sessho Maru's child. Otherwise, she knew, Rina would gladly let herself die so that she could be with Sessho Maru.

* * *

Rina was standing on the beach. The one where she and Sessho Maru had first met. She had enough of a baby bump that she couldn't wear her regular pants anymore. She wasn't quite big enough for maternity pants but she was too big for regular pants. She didn't mind. She'd felt the baby move for the first time last week. It was a strange emotion she had felt when she'd felt that odd fluttering sensation in her abdomen. A mixture between joy and sorrow. She was so amazed at the miracle that she was carrying and yet so sorrowful for the fact that Sessho Maru wasn't here to share in it with her.

Whenever she saw him in her dreams, it was only for the fact that they were dreams of memories. She'd still dream of the meadow sometimes, hoping that she'd finally see him there, but he never was. And every time she would wake up from that dream, her heart would shatter all over again.

The baby was moving now. She put her hand over the slight bulge in her tummy and rubbed lightly. "I know, baby. I wish your daddy was here too. Mommy misses your daddy more than she can express."

She was so tired of crying, but she never seemed to run out of tears. Sometimes she felt so exhausted, especially when it felt like she couldn't stop weeping.

Rina looked out at the horizon, watching the colors of the approaching sunset play on the rolling ocean waves. She continued to rub her abdomen where the baby was still kicking. It felt like the baby had hiccups and then put up a high-spirited protest after each hiccup. Rina gave a soft smile at her unborn child's movements.

The breeze changed direction and a scent wafted across her sensitive nostrils, made even more sensitive by the pregnancy. A whisper of footsteps on the sand. Her heart stopped. She whirled around.

At first she didn't see anything unusual. There were lots of people out today enjoying the beach. Her eyes scanned the crowd several times. She continued scenting the breeze. It was frustrating because the breeze kept changing direction and she could only get snatches of the scent.

"I'm crazy," she finally muttered to herself. "This pregnancy has me addled. I've heard before how pregnancy can turn even the smartest women into complete dumbasses."

She started to turn back toward the water when all of a sudden there!! There was the scent again! She whipped around forcefully and scanned the crowds again. She began to walk. She had to try to trace the scent!

Suddenly, there he was. Long silver hair, jean shorts, t-shirt, and a hat to hide his pointy ears. Rina's jaw dropped. Surely this was a dream, but she'd never had a dream that was so real! Her breathing began to be labored and her knees became weak. Golden eyes staring right back at her, absolutely smoldering in their intensity.

Then he was darting across the sand and he reached her just in time before she could fall all the way down.

"Sessho Maru!" she cried out in a strangled voice as the steel bands of his arms locked around her slightly swollen frame.

"Rina!" he cried as he picked her up in his arms. Sinking down to the sand with her, he pulled her across his lap, took her face in his hands, and proceeded to smother her in frantic kisses that she returned to the best of her ability.

"Oh, Sessho Maru!" she sobbed in disbelief as her arms clung tightly around his neck.

"Rina! My love, Rina!" he wept. He couldn't hold her tightly enough. He took her face in his hands, made her look up at him so that he could lock his lips to hers as tightly as possible. She moaned in desperation as she kissed him back, feverish longing and weeks of grief expelling themselves through their passion.

When they finally pulled back for some air, Rina blurted out, "How is this possible? I watched you die! What took you so long?!" She became a little more hysterical with each question.

"Can we go home so I can tell you everything that has happened?" Sessho Maru asked of her.

Rina nodded ardently. She couldn't deny him anything. He could request that she do a handstand and then hopscotch for all she cared.

Sessho Maru scooped her up easily into his arms and started off toward her old apartment by habit.

"I don't live there anymore, Sessho Maru," Rina said quietly.

"Which direction?"

Rina pointed out the direction and described the house to him. "I moved there after I got out of the hospital. I couldn't take being in that apartment anymore after you were gone."

They got to the little 2-bedroom house. Once inside, he set her on her feet only to scoop her up onto her tip-toes to kiss the daylights out of her. Rina moaned wantonly and desire flared up like an uncontrollable wildfire. Questions and answers could wait. For now, she just wanted to be with her mate again.

Sessho Maru seemed to agree. He pinned her firmly yet gently against the door. His mouth crushed against hers with pressing need for a moment before he swept his tongue into her mouth to dance with hers. They moaned in unison. He released her from the wall only to scoop her up into his arms and carry her, with her direction, into the bedroom.

Laying her down on the mattress, he almost tore her pants off of her. Rina didn't care. She was desperate to feel him on her, in her, meshing with her entire being once again. He started kissing his way up her stomach toward her breasts, but Rina was too impatient. She sat up and yanked his pants forcefully down. He chuckled at her insistence. He finished removing them as well as the borrowed shirt. He laid himself over her and both of them shivered at the delicious feel of skin against skin. Rina hurriedly grasped his erection and guided him to her entrance. They groaned in elated unison as he eagerly thrust himself into her.

Rina cupped his buttocks to urge him on as he moved over her in a rhythm that told just how starved for her that he was. Her hips eagerly met his as she matched his pace. Their lips locked together as they continued to mesh into one being as though they'd never have another chance. Rina screamed out in ecstasy as she and Sessho Maru came together in explosions of bright lights. Sessho Maru cried out her name as his orgasm overtook him.

He laid beside her afterwards and cradled her in his arms. They couldn't stop kissing each other. Laying facing each other, Rina lifted a leg to drape over Sessho Maru's hip. His hands roved all over her body, blissfully getting reacquainted. In no time at all, Sessho Maru's arousal bulged at her again and he pressed her closer to him so that he could guide himself into the silken wet heat of her. She moaned against his mouth as he thrust himself into her to the hilt. He took a great deal of pride at seeing her open-mouthed expression of pleasure. Her eyes were closed and her head thrown slightly back from their passion. He eagerly took advantage of the exposed flesh of her neck. He remembered that she loved to have her neck nibbled and sucked. Rolling his hips to masterfully grind against the center of her pleasure, he nibbled and licked the side of her neck and around her earlobe.

Her whimpers and cries and moans got louder and more intense. He felt the muscles of her inner walls convulse and contract as she splintered into a thousand ribbons of pleasure. She clutched him tightly to herself as her orgasm rocked her body. She was thrusting wildly against him, her climax still going strong when he joined her in ecstasy.

They went another round before they were finally sated enough to take a brief intermission. Rina sighed in weary contentment as she laid her head on Sessho Maru's chest. They dozed off together for a little while, just happy to be together again. The questions could still wait a little while longer.

She awoke a couple hours later. At first she was briefly afraid that it had all been just a dream, that she was going to find that it had been just a potent fantasy wrought by her going insane from grief; that Sessho Maru was still dead. Yet there he was as she finally got the courage to open her eyes. He was gazing at her with all the love that he possessed in his molten golden eyes. He lifted a gentle palm to caress her face

"What happened, Sessho Maru?" she asked finally. "I watched you die and yet now here you are. What happened?"

"Toto-Sai," he said.

"The maker of the Tenseiga?" Rina asked.

He nodded. "From what I was told when I was revived, Alexander got my body most of the way home and Inu Yasha intercepted him because he was going out looking for you. He had Alexander go the rest of the way to the village and Alexander pointed to him the way to Hinkotsu's castle. Inu Yasha feared that you'd be dead too. He got there to find that you'd been in the care of the village and no one had bothered to clean up the mess that was left of Hinkotsu." Sessho Maru paused for a moment to look at her with bemusement.

"From what Inu Yasha found out, you had transformed into your full demon form and basically ripped the shit out of him."

Rina nodded.

"Sounds like you didn't pull any punches," Sessho Maru said with a light laugh.

"He'd killed my mate," Rina said flatly. "Even when I'd gutted him and broken his neck, I wasn't satisfied. I didn't stop until there was basically nothing left of him."

Sessho Maru continued on. "Well, Inu Yasha brought you back and he and Kagome brought you to the modern era to a hospital, saying that you'd been attacked by an animal. While you were comatose, Kagome stayed with you and Inu Yasha came back. He was coming back to make funeral arrangements for me. When he got back, he was greeted by Alexander and Toto-Sai.

"Inu Yasha wanted to kill Toto-Sai for having disappeared for so long, but all that Toto-Sai would say was that it wasn't time for him to be found yet and then he demanded my body. Inu Yasha didn't want to give it to him. Kagome had come back to the village for something that she thought would help you heal and she came in on the middle of the argument and she told Inu Yasha that there really wasn't anything Toto-Sai could do to cause me further harm and to just let him take me."

"Did Toto-Sai bring you back?" Rina asked.

Sessho Maru nodded. "He'd gotten the remains of the Tenseiga and when he got me back to his dwelling place, he went to work on restoring the sword. Now, I don't know how he did it. He wouldn't explain it to me. He told me that I was alive and that was all I needed to know. I have the Tenseiga again. It's currently in Jaken's care."

Rina's eyes flew wide. "Jaken's ok?"

Sessho Maru nodded. "You tended his wounds well. He was fully recovered just a week later."

Rina hung her head. "I can't believe I forgot about him." She felt like such a heel.

"Don't worry, love. He's alright. He understood that in your grief you couldn't think of much else."

"So, why did it take you so long to come back for me?"

"Understand, love, that I was dead for almost a month. I had a lot of healing to do. When Toto-Sai brought me back, my muscles had to gradually become limber again. I had to learn how to do everything all over again; walk, talk, move on my own. Everything. It was very painful physically and it was complete torture to be away from you for so long. All that Toto-Sai would tell me was that you had defeated Hinkotsu and that you were recovering. Toto-Sai didn't even tell Inu Yasha that I was alive. I was fine with that in some ways. I didn't want anyone to see me in such a weak and vulnerable state, but at the same time I wanted you to know that I was alive."

Rina nodded. "So that's why I didn't see you in the meadow anymore."

Sessho Maru nodded. "Exactly."

Rina had another question. "How is it that you didn't decay at all while Toto-Sai worked to revive you?"

"If I'd been human, I would have. But being full demon, even while we are dead, it takes a _long_ time for our powers to fade away, and those powers preserve us for a long time. I've seen bodies that have taken almost a hundred years to decompose. Mine and Inu Yasha's father took a very long time to be reduced to a skeleton."

Rina looked thoughtful as she digested this information.

"Here's another example," Sessho Maru offered. "Did anyone tell you the story of what happened when Shippo's father was killed?"

"A little bit," Rina answered. "I remember they said that his father was killed by a pair of demons called the Thunder Brothers and that one of them was wearing the pelt of Shippo's father as a belt, but that's about it."

"Well, there came a point in the battle when Kagome and Shippo were in danger from the brother that was still alive. Inu Yasha had already killed Monten and he was having to still deal with Hiten. Hiten had shot a blast at Kagome and Shippo and Inu Yasha thought they'd been killed. What had happened, however, was that a blast of Foxfire came from the pelt of Shippo's father that had protected them from Hiten's assault. In other words, even though Shippo's father was dead, his remains still had power that his spirit called forth and he was still able to protect them even beyond death."

Now Rina understood. "So what you're saying is that even though you were dead, your body still had power enough that you could have done the same thing as well as the fact that that power kept you from decomposing at all during the time that you were dead."

"Exactly," Sessho Maru confirmed.

"One more question," Rina said. "Even with the use of the Tenseiga, how was Toto-Sai able to call your spirit back to your body?"

"It took certain spells. I know of such things, but only a little. Again, he didn't really explain much to me. He just wanted me to be glad that I was alive and leave it at that. And even then, it didn't take much coaxing."

"Oh?"

"I missed you," Sessho Maru said softly. "Sometimes I could see you and you could see me, but more often than not it was like trying to glimpse you through a mirror. I could only make you hear me occasionally. So when I heard the summons of the spell that Toto-Sai used, I didn't hesitate. I _wanted_ to be alive again so that I could be with you. Still being with you after death but only being able to glimpse you from afar through the veil just wasn't good enough for me."

Tears filled Rina's eyes. It was still strange to her to hear how much she meant to him. She knew he meant that much to her. It filled her with joy to know that he loved her that much too.

"So, is it me, or are you different?" Sessho Maru asked. "I can't put my finger on it, but you're different. You felt different in my arms and when we were making love." He playfully nipped at her earlobe, sending delicious chills and shivers up and down her body.

"Did no one tell you?" Rina asked, confused.

"No one had the chance to tell me anything. As soon as I was physically able, I left Toto-Sai, showed up at Kaede's village, and Kagome saw me first. I only had to ask where you were and she gave me the Shard to come over here. So, what is it that no one has told me yet?"

Rina laid back, pulled the covers down to expose her bare torso and laid Sessho Maru's hand over the slight bump in her abdomen. The timing was perfect, for as Sessho Maru's hand settled over Rina's womb, their unborn baby kicked square against his palm.

Sessho Maru gasped. "You're--- We're---" He looked at her in a mixture of shock, hope, and joy.

Rina nodded, her eyes shining. "I'm pregnant, Sessho Maru."

In awe, Sessho Maru scooted down so he could lay his cheek against her belly. "When did this happen, Rina? I don't even remember a scent coming off of you."

"No one else did. Not you, Inu Yasha, or Alexander. It was a surprise to us all. The doctor told me when I woke up in the hospital and at that time I was about four weeks along. I guess somehow the scent was masked on me," Rina explained.

"But when did this happen?" Sessho Maru asked excitedly.

"You remember that night that we went to a techno club with the band?"

Sessho Maru thought for a second and then his eyes lightened with understanding. "You said that after one of our go-arounds you felt strange and that it just never went away."

Rina nodded. "Exactly.

"So, how far along are you now?"

"I'm due in February. I'm almost five months along. I've got about another week and a half before I hit the five-month mark."

"Absolutely incredible," Sessho Maru breathed against her belly before he planted a gentle kiss right above her navel. He began to give soft, whisper-light kisses up her stomach and Rina felt another hot stab of desire for her mate. She knew when Sessho Maru realized it when he looked up at her with a smoldering gaze that promised he would absolutely devour her. No, he wasn't going to just devour her. He fully intended to make up for many lonely nights of lost time.

"Sessho Maru?" Rina asked coyly. "Did you know that sex is actually quite healthy for pregnant women?"

His golden eyes gleamed at her suggestive comment. "Well, we'll just have to put that theory to the test," he purred as he slid himself up her body to come flush with her face so that he could take her beloved face between his hands and kiss her tenderly.

Hours later they were asleep contentedly in each other's arms, completely exhausted in their intimate exertions of the night. That was the first peaceful night's sleep that Rina had in what felt like ages. She didn't even dream. She didn't even need to. The man of her dreams had come back to her, so what could dreams possibly hold for her?

Rina awoke to a feeling of immense peace, comfort, and contentment. At first, before she opened her eyes, she felt the familiar pangs of grief that had been there almost constantly for the past few months. Then she felt Sessho Maru's silken skin beneath her fingertips, his muscular chest beneath her cheek, the sound of his thriving heartbeat in her ear, and the scent of him on her skin. She opened her eyes and smiled. The biggest miracle that anyone could ever ask for was laying right next to her, peacefully asleep in her bed. She uttered another silent prayer of thanks to the gods and goddesses. She couldn't believe that a way had been found for her Sessho Maru to come back to her. Not very many people, if hardly anyone at all, got a second chance with the love of their life like this. Rina vowed quietly to herself to never take him for granted, to remember that he'd once been gone from her. She was all too painfully aware as to how quickly and suddenly everything could come crashing down and how quickly that love could be snatched away.

She listened to the miraculous sound of his heartbeat and his breathing, marveling how warm his skin felt. How _alive_ he felt! Another tear of gratitude fell onto Sessho Maru's chest.

_**Damn these pregnancy hormones!**_ she snarled silently to herself. Still, it was a stark relief and difference to be crying tears of joy than sorrow. Sessho Maru, as if sensing her heightened emotional state, opened his eyes and turned to her to take her in his arms.

That released the floodgates and Rina sobbed into his chest for what felt like hours. Sessho Maru held her quietly, stroking her hair as she unloaded what felt like an age of grief and sorrow. Finally, when she was spent, Rina apologized to Sessho Maru.

"I'm sorry, babe," she said with embarrassment. "This pregnancy is kicking my butt where the hormones are concerned."

Sessho Maru chuckled lovingly as he pulled her close again. "You've no need to apologize to me, my love. I can't expect you to be recovered from everything that's happened just over a matter of hours."

"I still can't believe you're here," she choked. "I can't believe you're really here and I'm really holding you again! I just can't believe it." _**Baka**_, she thought to herself irritably. **_Now you're babbling._**

"Trust me," Sessho Maru assured her. "I can't believe we're together again either. I've missed you so much and it felt like I was never going to see you again and I worried about you. I worried that you'd do something to yourself so that we could be together."

"Honestly," Rina said grimly, "If I hadn't been pregnant, I might have."

Sessho Maru nodded in understanding. "I can't say as I blame you, Firefly. If it were me having to mourn you, I don't know if I could have gone on living."

Rina nuzzled passionately into his chest, comforted by the sound of his voice, the beat of his heart against her ear.

"What shall we do today?" he asked as he kissed her hair and breathed in her intoxicating scent.

At the moment, Rina absolutely abhorred the idea of leaving the house. She didn't even have to say it.

"Shall we just stay in and have a movie day?" Sessho Maru asked her knowingly.

Rina wanted to crow. "Sounds good to me," she said happily.

That day, she introduced him to the "Lethal Weapon" movies and the extended versions of "The Lord of The Rings" movies. When they got hungry, Rina ordered some food for them (Chinese, of course). They had to pause the movies a few times because they became hungry for what food wouldn't satisfy. Especially when their food did get there, Sessho Maru wanted to get creative and he turned their simple take-out meal into an erotic feast. They couldn't get their fill of one another. They didn't finally fall asleep together, completely sated and exhausted, until morning light was once again peeking into the windows.


	21. Chapter 20: Arrangements

Rina and Sessho Maru awoke to the sound of the ringing telephone. She blearily picked the phone up and mumbled, "Moshi moshi?"

"Rina?" came Kuri's voice.

"Yeah?" Rina responded.

"You do realize that you have a doctor's appointment today, right?"

Rina's eyes flew open. "Shit! What time is it?"

"Almost 3pm."

Crap! She had to be there at 3:30!

"I'll be there in ten minutes to pick you up," Kuri informed her before she hung up before Rina had a chance to say anything.

She turned over to shake Sessho Maru awake. He mumbled in his sleep for a moment before he opened his eyes. "Wha's going on?"

"Kuri's coming to pick me up," Rina answered.

"Tell 'er I said 'Hi'," he slurred, not quite awake.

"Sessho," she chuckled. "You need to wake up, baby."

"Why?" he almost whined, a _very_ uncharacteristic action for the great Lord Sessho Maru. Rina couldn't help but bark out a laugh at him.

"Because Kuri still thinks you're dead, I have a doctor's appointment to get to, and I think it'll take a few minutes for Kuri to let it sink in that you're not dead."

Sessho Maru sat up at that. "Good point." He slid out of bed and Rina couldn't help but bite her lip at all that succulent bare flesh that she just _loved_ tasting.

"What are we going to tell her?" he asked as they dressed.

"The truth," Rina said. "She's the only one out of the band that knows what you are. The rest of them? Well, we're probably going to have to tell them that though we'd thought you were dead, you were actually in a coma somewhere and you woke up, went through rehabilitation, and that you only just found me."

"Doesn't sound too far off the truth," Sessho Maru said thoughtfully.

"Nope," Rina agreed. "And the less I have to lie, the better that I feel."

She heard Kuri's car pull up a couple minutes later.

"Wait here a minute," Rina advised as she opened the door to go outside and greet Kuri.

Kuri was just getting out of the car when Rina shut the door behind her.

"You ready to go?" Kuri greeted her an instant before she actually took a look at Rina's nervous face. "Um, what's going on?"

"Ok, I _really_ need for you to not freak out," Rina said as she took a deep breath.

Kuri gave pause as she studied Rina's features. "What's happened? You look different. You look....._happy_!" She ran up to Rina and looked closer. Then she gasped. "Knowing you like I do, there's only one thing that could make you look _this_ happy........but how can it be?" She gave Rina a confused look. "What the hell is going on, Rina? How could Sessho Maru be alive? You saw him die!"

Rina grabbed Kuri's arm and pulled her inside where Sessho Maru was waiting, looking apprehensive and hesitant. Sure enough, Kuri's jaw dropped, her bag dropped out of one hand and her keys dropped out of the other. Only a second later she started to collapse on the ground in shock. Rina caught her and helped her over to the couch.

"How?" Kuri managed to blurt. Sessho Maru proceeded to tell her everything that he had told Rina two days ago.

"And then when I finally was able to get back here, I found her on the beach the day before yesterday and here I've been ever since," he finished.

"Jesus, that's heavy," Kuri breathed. She looked over at Rina. "You have got to have the most fucked-up life I have ever seen. This is some shit that only happens in either the movies or in a goddamn soap opera."

Rina winced as she could see Kuri coming close to the breaking point. In such times, it was usually just best to sit there, be quiet, and let Kuri have her rant.

To distract her friend, she held up her watch. "I would seriously love to let you blow off some steam, but doctor's appointment, remember?"

As usual when Kuri was offered a distraction from her ire, she changed tones instantly. "And today is when you find out what the baby is, right?"

Rina turned to explain to Sessho Maru. "I get my ultrasound today, _finally_." Then she explained what she meant. "An ultrasound is a machine that can give images from inside a person's body. In this case, we're looking at the baby today and I'll be able to find out if it's a boy or girl."

"Incredible," Sessho Maru said. "Am I allowed to accompany you or is this a strictly woman thing?"

"Buster, you try to stay behind on this one and I'll beat you so sound that it'll make what I did to Hinkotsu look like a party," Rina threatened, though there was no missing the playful note in her voice.

"Pregnancy hormones: ain't they a bitch?" Kuri said cheerfully. "Welcome back, Sessho Maru, she's _all_ yours now!" She walked out to her car cackling at her wit.

Sessho Maru groaned exaggeratedly. "Oh gods, what have I gotten myself into?"

Rina glared at him open-mouthed in mock outrage. Sessho Maru made a show of cowering before her. "Sorry," he practically squeaked.

They piled into Kuri's car and started the drive to the doctor office. On the way, they filled Kuri in on the rest of what had happened over the past few months as to what brought about Sessho Maru's revival.

"Whew!" Kuri whistled. "That's heavy." She shook her head as Sessho Maru wrapped his tale. "I'm glad that you were able to come back, though. I mean, I know that sounds so blasé to say, but I really don't know what else I _can_ say."

"Trust me," said Rina. "We know it sounds way out there. But I don't even care. I'm just so grateful that he's alive." She shot Sessho Maru a loving smile which he returned.

"I am too," Kuri agreed. "After seeing how these past few months have been, I'm so happy for you guys. I guess miracles really do happen once in a while."

They got to the doctor's office where Rina quietly explained more to Sessho Maru about her doctor visits up to that point.

"So all that's happening today is finding out if the baby's a boy or girl?" Sessho Maru clarified.

"Yeah. If it were anything else, I'd have just rescheduled, but I just couldn't miss this." Rina smiled at him, feeling her first genuine lick of excitement about their baby. It's not that she hadn't been excited to be pregnant, it was just that it was more complete now that she had her mate back.

Soon they were called back to a room that had an ultrasound machine in it. The technician came in, giving them a friendly greeting before having Rina lay down on the table and having her pants drawn down to right above her pubic area and her shirt pulled up right under her breasts. Rina shivered as the technician squirted the jelly on her slightly protruding belly.

"That's cold," she giggled a little.

"Sorry," the technician responded with a laugh. "Normally we're able to keep the jelly warmer than this, but the warmer crapped out on us."

A moment later, the screen lit up with 3-D images of their child. Sessho Maru watched with rapt awe as he beheld his child, looking almost as real as though they could pick up the baby and hold it right then and there. The technician did several measurements to decipher the development of the baby before pronouncing the baby to be developing beautifully.

"Would you like to know the sex?" she asked.

Both Rina and Sessho Maru nodded eagerly.

She moved the device over Rina's belly once more til she found what she was looking for.

Finally she said, "Ah! There we go!" She froze the image and printed out a picture before announcing jovially, "It's a girl!"

Rina's eyes filled with tears of love and adoration as she completely fell in love with her and Sessho Maru's daughter wholly and completely.

"Huh, that's interesting," the technician mused as she moved the ultrasound microphone over Rina's belly again. She'd gotten another angle of the baby's head. She was looking at her ears.

"I've never seen a baby with pointy ears before."

Rina almost blanched. She hadn't thought about that. She felt a hot blush creeping up her neck as she wondered what to tell her.

"They kinda run in my family," Sessho Maru said smoothly and easily. "Never really had an explanation, it was just hereditary."

"Huh," the technician said lightly. She printed out pictures of the baby's face and even managed to catch their daughter in the action of sucking her thumb. "Oh, I just love it when I get those shots! They are some of the most precious pictures ever! It helps give a lot of people the realization that their baby is a complete human being to see such things. They become more than just a picture on a screen long before they leave the womb."

Rina had had to hold back a little chuckle at the "complete human being" phrase. Even Kuri had cleared her throat innocently to suppress a laugh. Sessho Maru had taken to start looking around at the different pictures and diagrams on the walls.

When they left the office, clutching those precious pictures, they'd promptly broken into peals of laughter when they reached the safety of Kuri's car.

"I _so_ thought I was going to lose it in there!" Kuri crowed as she tried to regain her breathing. "Nice save on the whole pointy ears thing! I thought Rina was going to explode while trying to think of something to say!"

Rina broke out laughing again. "I completely drew a blank! I hadn't thought of the possibility that the baby wouldn't look completely human when I set the ultrasound appointment much less what the doctors are going to think when they deliver a demon child!"

Sessho Maru chuckled again. "That's the benefit of always being so deadpan. No one thinks anything of it when one manages to maintain their composure."

"Oh, like how you maintained your composure when she made that 'complete human being' crack?" Kuri teased.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sessho Maru said in a mimic of his tone that he'd used to brush off the pointy ears remark the technician had made.

Rina's laughter died down as she gazed again at the pictures of her daughter. Her and Sessho Maru's daughter. She looked adoringly at the picture of the baby sucking her little thumb.

"I can't wait to tell Inu Yasha and Kagome about their upcoming niece," Rina remarked. "I bet she and Kit are going to be best friends."

"How about we go over there tomorrow and inform them of the good news?" Sessho Maru offered. "Unless you'd rather go today."

Rina shook her head forcefully. "Huh uh. I just got you back and like hell I'm going to go anywhere today that I don't absolutely have to. I'm not done with my alone time with you yet."

Sessho Maru chuckled. He understood. So did Kuri.

"I'll just drop you guys off when I get you home and I'll come back to visit later so we can discuss how to break this to the band."

Rina nodded. "Sounds good," she agreed and Sessho Maru nodded the affirmative.

They went inside their little house when Kuri dropped them off. Sessho Maru picked her up in his arms as he always loved doing. Even now at almost 5 months into her pregnancy, he could still make her feel so petite. They spent the rest of the day and night continuing to get reacquainted and trying to make up for all the months they'd been apart. Soft, tender caresses, feather-light kisses, sweet, breathy moans of pleasure—everything they'd missed out on for over five months.

When Rina fell asleep in his arms, Sessho Maru stayed up for hours just watching her sleep, drinking in the sight of her sweet face peaceful in repose. The sight of her slightly swollen belly, rounding and filled with their child. His heart ached so much with the joy of it he thought it might explode in his breast. He gently laid a hand over her abdomen and smiled when he felt the fluttering movements of the baby. It was almost like she were saying hello, that she wanted to get to know him too. Sessho Maru silently swore to himself that there was no way in hell that he was leaving Rina's side ever again. He was still shaken to the depths of his very soul on how close he'd come to not getting to be with Rina. How close he'd come to being dead forever and left only with being able to glimpse Rina across eternity. Everything he could have missed out on had Hinkotsu been successful in killing him. He thanked the gods and goddesses for what had to have been the thousandth time for Toto-Sai knowing how to bring him back. He knew he would not get such a chance ever again.

When Sessho Maru woke up the next morning, he already knew that Rina was cooking breakfast in the kitchen. Well acquainted with her cooking by now, he caught the scent of pancakes, fried eggs, bacon, and sausage on the stove. He had once asked her why she didn't eat Japanese-style breakfasts.

"My birth mother used to make this for me when I was a child before she and my father died. I miss her breakfasts." Sessho Maru had smiled at her explanation even though his heart had ached for her. There were many days that he missed his father, found himself wishing that he could let him know that the lessons he had taught him as a child had taken root after all. He just didn't know it until Rin and Rina.

Now, as he walked into the kitchen to wrap his arms around his mate from behind, a new thought slammed into his mind.

"Rina?" he asked quietly.

"What is it, my love?" she asked tenderly as she leaned her head back against his shoulder, relishing his embrace.

"I've been thinking," he began. Rina turned around in his arms so she could look him in his beautiful golden eyes.

"I've been thinking," he said again, "about staying here."

Rina tilted her head curiously. Finally it dawned on her. "Permanently?"

Sessho Maru nodded quietly. "I never want to leave your side again, especially not in my era. I already lost you once and you me. I can't go through that again. I can't put you through that again. If I die again, I won't be able to come back again. That was a once in a lifetime miracle we were granted."

Rina nodded seriously, though her eyes held a troubled expression. "But Sessho, what about Inu Yasha? You two have finally been bonding as brothers. Are you going to just give that up? What about Jaken? He'd be lost without you."

Sessho Maru's eyes lowered. She was right. Still. "Alright, how about this then, my love? What if we stay here the majority of the time, I make Inu Yasha the steward of my lands, and we go back for frequent visits?"

Rina bit her lip thoughtfully. It was awfully tempting. To raise their child here in the modern era where it was far safer for her and yet still be able to take her back to the Feudal era where she could more be herself, get to be around her aunt, uncle, and cousin. It definitely had a lot of appeal.

"Why don't you talk about it with Inu Yasha? We're still going to go visit them today, yes?"

"Yes, we are," Sessho Maru confirmed. "So you approve of my idea?"

Rina smiled. "I think it's a fine idea, my love. It would definitely carry a lot of perks."

After breakfast, they got dressed and made the trip across town to Kagome's family's shrine. It felt like it had been ages since Rina had last taken the plunge into the well and yet the sight and the feel of the energy flowing around them was so familiar that it seemed like it had been just yesterday. Upon arriving at the other side, Sessho Maru promptly scooped Rina up in his arms and carried her like a priceless treasure to Kaede's village. There was no way in hell that Sessho Maru was going to allow his pregnant mate to exert herself. Not if he could help it.

Inu Yasha met them at the outskirts of the village. The expression on Inu Yasha's face was one of pure disbelief mixed with elated joy. "So, it's true!" he shouted as they approached. "You really are alive! Kagome had told me but I could scarcely believe it!" Inu Yasha threw his arms around his brother much to Sessho Maru and Rina's surprise. They'd come a long way in the past almost-two years, but never once had they engaged in any sort of physical affection. That just wasn't their way. Still, Sessho Maru did not reject his younger half brother. Rather, he embraced Inu Yasha right back.

Pulling back, Inu Yasha asked, "Has Rina told you, brother?"

Sessho Maru smiled widely. "She has. I even joined her at an appointment the other day. We got to see the baby on the ultrasound--"

"Isn't that the most amazing thing you ever saw?" Inu Yasha blurted. "I still have the pictures of Kit in my haori."

"How did they not notice her ears?" Sessho Maru wondered.

"Her hair was already so thick that the ultrasound machine just didn't really pick it up, I guess. Honestly, I don't really know." Inu Yasha gave an impatient bounce. "So, do you have pictures? Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Girl," Rina pronounced proudly.

"Well, pull 'em out! I wanna see the pictures of my niece!" Inu Yasha demanded.

Rina couldn't help a laugh at her brother-in-law. She pulled her wallet out of her bag and pulled out the pictures, showing him the ones where she was being measured, the one that proclaimed the baby to be a girl, and, saving the best for last, the one of the baby sucking her thumb. It couldn't be missed how Sessho Maru shone with pride as Inu Yasha gloated about his adorable niece.

"Oh, we've got to hurry. Kagome will 'Sit' me into the next century if I don't show these to her immediately." Neither Rina nor Sessho Maru could help a laugh as Inu Yasha gave a mock-disdainful tug at the charmed prayer beads that hung about his neck. He'd been wearing them since he and Kagome had met after Kaede had put them on him. It had been a means of keeping Inu Yasha from getting too close to the Sacred Jewel. Now it was just a means of endless entertainment or for Kagome to get back at Inu Yasha whenever he pissed her off.

They got to Kaede's hut where everyone was gathered. Everyone, including Kaede, expressed their joy that Toto-Sai had been able to revive Sessho Maru and that he and Rina were reunited. They gasped and cooed over the ultrasound pictures of the baby, Sango and Kagome especially. In fact, Sango got a devilishly mischievous look in her eye.

"I wonder if it'd be possible for me to get over to the modern era to have this done." Her eyes scanned the faces of the others to see if they'd caught on. Miroku's especially.

"Why, my dear Sango," Miroku chuckled jovially, "why would you need to go have this done unless--" His words cut off as his mind finally connected the dots. He looked over at Sango, who was grinning shyly at him. Miroku was at her side in an instant. "Sango, are you serious?" he asked, taking her hand into his and pressing it to his lips, his eyes full of hope.

Sango's mahogany eyes filled with tears of joy. "Yes, Miroku. Kaede confirmed it for me three days ago. I just didn't know how to tell you." Miroku gave a cry of joy as he swept Sango into his arms while everyone else looked on in shock.

"Wow. You mean to tell me that Sango stopped slapping Miroku for his advances long enough for them to actually procreate?" Kagome asked Rina with a mischievous giggle.

Inu Yasha clapped Miroku on the back, interrupting him and Sango in the process of a kissing session that was definitely not polite for company. "Well, Miroku, I guess you don't have to keep asking around for someone to bear you a child." Miroku and Sango's faces flamed brightly at that. Sango stood up and grasped Miroku's hand.

"If you guys will excuse us, I feel a great need to get home so that Miroku and I can do more things that aren't appropriate for mixed company."

Kagome and Rina about fell over laughing at Sango making such an uncharacteristic comment. Normally she was _much _more modest and reserved than this. However, they were so happy to see that Sango and Miroku were so happy and in love. Now they were starting a family.

Things felt so perfect right then. Everyone was happy and content. Everyone was together. Everything was finally right with the world.

Sessho Maru waited to talk to Inu Yasha until after everyone was asleep.

"I knew you were going to talk to me about something," Inu Yasha said as Sessho Maru joined him at the fire. "That's why I didn't go to bed. What's on your mind, _aniki_?"

"Inu Yasha, I've decided that I'm going to live mainly in Rina's time." Inu Yasha's jaw dropped. "I know that, now that Hinkotsu has been destroyed, there isn't as much a threat here anymore, but I can't assume that for Rina and our child's sake. If something were to happen to me again, I highly doubt there'd be any coming back for me again. I can't leave Rina stranded like that again. And she and the child would be bait for any other demon wanting to try to get at me. They deserve better than that."

Finally Inu Yasha found the will to speak. "What of your lands, brother? What of me? We were finally starting to get along like brothers. I don't want to lose that."

"Nor shall you," Sessho Maru assured him. "Just because we would be mainly living there doesn't mean we wouldn't come here often to visit, nor does it mean that you and Kagome and Sango and Miroku couldn't come visit us there. And as for my lands, brother, I want you to be the steward of them. I know you would oversee the people there wisely and fairly. You could make the Western Lands thrive again in a way that I never was able."

Inu Yasha's mouth gaped open and shut with the weight of what his brother was telling him. "Are you sure, Sessho Maru?"

"I've never been so sure as this." Sessho Maru tilted his head in a pause. "I'm sure we'll be back to live again someday. Rina is going to live for many hundreds of years, as will our children. We won't be able to stay there for forever." Sessho Maru gave Inu Yasha a sidelong glance. "So, will you do this for me, my brother? Will you take care of my lands and my people in my stead?"

Inu Yasha nodded fervently. "I would be honored, my brother."

Sessho Maru felt a lot better having gotten that taken care of.

They stayed in the Feudal Era for about a week before they returned to the modern. Rina felt absolutely and blissfully happy to be back. She was thrilled that Sessho Maru had made the arrangements he'd wanted to for things to be taken care of while he made his residence in her modern world.

Rina taught Sessho Maru how to get by in her time. He magically produced himself sets of identifications and even managed to produce a glamoury for himself so as to blend in better with the modern-day humans. He took the idea from Inu Yasha, actually, who would turn full human once a month on the new moon. When he had it perfected to his satisfaction, he showed himself to Rina, who's jaw dropped wide. "Oh my gods," she gasped.

His eyes were a luminescent chocolate brown, his hair a silky, midnight black still hanging long down his back. The markings on his face were disguised. She couldn't even tell that they'd ever been there. His normally-pointy ears looked like normal, human ears. He was dressed simply in a pair of jeans that hung enticingly off his hips and a black tank top that seductively hugged his muscular, powerful torso in such a way that Rina was sure it would be criminal to let him out in public like this. Her mouth watered and her hormones spiked. She knew the moment that he scented her desire, for his eyes flared to their normal golden color as he inhaled deeply.

"I take it that you approve?" he grinned at her as he advanced toward her to take her in his arms.

"Oh, baby, I didn't think it was possible to look even more yummy than you already do, but holy green guacamole, you proved me wrong!"

Sessho Maru laughed a deep, throaty laugh as he claimed her mouth with his while he picked her up and carried her into their bedroom.

They and Kuri told the band about what happened to Sessho Maru about a week after they'd gotten back from the Feudal Era. They were about halfway through their version of it when Rina hung her head in exasperation.

"Look, I can't keep lying about this. You guys probably aren't going to believe me. Kuri, however, already knows the full truth and has seen it for herself." Rina looked up to look her band mates full in the face. "Sessho Maru isn't human. He's a demon lord from the Feudal Era. When I had disappeared for all those months last year, it was because I'd been kidnapped by another demon and sold into slavery."

One by one, despite the incredulous expressions on the faces of her friends, Rina told them everything. About Sessho Maru, about herself. Then, taking a deep breath before she could lose her nerve, she showed them her demon self. She tried to keep it from looking too scary. Still, she couldn't help a cringe when her friends jumped back, startled.

Ryuko was the first to speak, amazement dripping out of her tone. "You're not crazy. You really are a demon." Her eyes widened when Sessho Maru followed suit and showed himself a little bit. Ryuko swallowed. "So, you hadn't been attacked by an animal. You had been wounded from killing Hinkotsu."

Rina nodded. "You guys have to promise to keep this a secret," she pleaded. "I'm sorry I kept this from you for so long, but I thought it was better off for you guys not knowing."

Shoto stood up and strode over to Rina. "Why didn't you ever tell us, _imouto_? We wouldn't have thought you were crazy." There was no judgment in Shoto's voice. Just compassion. "I mean, it's not like we're blind. It wasn't hard to guess just by looking at him that Sessho Maru isn't human like us."

Rina had to look at Sessho Maru, who had an innocent look on his face. She cracked a smile. "Well, that's very true. But this brings us to why I have told you the truth in the first place.

"After everything that we've been through with Hinkotsu, Sessho Maru dying for a time, and everything else, he has elected to make his home here in our era rather than his. We'll still go back there to visit our friends there, but from now on, the majority of our time will be spent here."

Kuri came forward. "Hey, Rina? Could I ask you guys a question, maybe even a _really_ big favor?" Rina gazed at her friend expectantly. "Sometime, one of the times when you guys make another visit to the Feudal Era, could I come with you? I just want to see what it's like." Rina hesitated as she looked to her mate to see what he thought of that.

Sessho Maru looked just as startled by the idea as Rina was. He considered for a moment before deciding that one visit couldn't hurt too terribly. Kuri squealed with glee as he related to her his decision on the matter.

After that, Rina got back to the point that she had been trying to make. "Sessho Maru is going to be looking quite different for the most part, at least to other peoples' perceptions. This is another reason why I wanted you guys to know the full truth. It's so you wouldn't wonder who the hell the new guy was."

As if on cue, Sessho Maru called upon his human glamoury. Ryuko and Kuri both gave approving wolf whistles. "Sexy!" hooted Ryuko. Rina had never known that it was possible to make Sessho Maru blush until that moment.


End file.
